Variety: SL9
Process: Washed
Sourced by: Origin Coffee Labs
There's a rare moment in coffee, in our humble robotic opinion, when BOTZ has a feeling that a green coffee matches the personality and energy of its nurturer. When such a scenario occurs, when you're dialing in the coffee, roasting, and tasting, the two forces seem inextricably linked. You may find renditions of the coffee that are acceptable and tasty, but there is only one version that shows the coffee and producer melded as one.
I’ve been fortunate to meet Mariagracia a few times in Chicago and Peru. Each time we’ve met, I’ve learned more about her story and the things she values. Every time we bid farewell, I find myself encouraged and hopeful. I want everyone to feel the same when they taste this washed SL9 from her plot at Finca La Palestina.
As I dialed in this SL9 from Mariagracia, I had a particular rendition in mind. Mariagracia is passionate, determined, confident, unwavering, and a dog rescuer. In Peru, I was fortunate enough to taste a few SL9 renditions. They were pretty representations, but always a bit bewildering to me. I’ve mentioned to others that I can often “see” and “taste” a coffee from the BOTZ production system without roasting it. But with this coffee variety, I was having a hard time seeing the future. There was soft stone fruit, delicate tea notes, and a touch of brown sugar. With an idyllic roast, I wondered if it could be more “Mariagracia” (life of the party, confident, and with welcoming louder flavors). As we walked into her office in the Origin Coffee Lab warehouse, there were three bags of parchment neatly stacked and protected by the warehouse dog “manager”. “That’s the SL9.” I decided if I ever had the chance to roast it, I’d give it the same love and protection at BOTZ.
The week before this drop, I got to give Mariagracia a bag of her SL9 lot. It was one of my prouder moments in coffee because I felt like the roast of the coffee matched her essence. The apricot note is ripe. The acidity is intense but not distracting. The florality is boisterous. It’s my favorite Peruvian offering I’ve ever roasted. We’ve tried our best to showcase a coffee where the SL9 and Mariagracia have become synonymous. We hope you enjoy this unique variety experience and catch a glimpse of Mariagracia’s kind-hearted nature in the process!
***Please note that coffee orders for this week will be roasted starting next week on 1/13. It will take about a week to roast, package, and ship all orders. Thank you kindly for your patience.***