When Stefano began working at the roastery 4 years ago, his unofficial title was facchino, the all-purpose go to person for all the jobs that needed doing. Being Emanuele’s brother meant that he would start at the bottom, work hard, gain knowledge about coffee, and prove himself. And although he did these jobs with enthusiasm, he had his eye on the big beautiful red roaster. Stefano’s first origin trip to Peru in 2015 was a memorable trip for many reasons – the food, the coffee farmers and their families, and the coffees. Here he discovered the Peru Condor Puna, which...

Last year Master Roaster Emanuele Bizzarri hand-selected the Peru Condor Puna coffee while visiting Peru. Grown at a high altitude between 1,300 - 1,800 meters in the Quillabamba Province in the Cusco region of Peru, this coffee is generally sweeter and of higher quality than coffees grown at lower altitudes. We had the honor of being the first to offer this unique light roast in the United States last summer. This September it returns as part of our limited edition Barrel Aged Single Origin program. This Barrel Aged Peru coffee is cured for two months in American oak whiskey barrels from Woodinville distillery – they were...

By Stefano Bizzarri - Flying over the ocean of lights that is Lima, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this trip. I had visited coffee farms in Hawaii but I already knew this trip was going to be very different. After a busy first day in Lima involving a distracted taxi driver, frenzied traffic and a missed flight at the tired and overcrowded Lima International Airport, we finally made it to Chiclayo, one of the bigger cities in northern Peru and a major hub for Peruvian coffee. Our first visit was to the Perhusa Dry Mill, where we were...

At the mill in Chiclayo, Peru, these black bags contain parchment coffee (coffee beans that have been processed and dried, but are still encased inside the parchment envelope, the endocarp). Warehousing coffee this way keeps it fresher until it is ready for export. Once sold, these beans will be sent to the mill to be hulled, polished, graded and sorted. Once milled, coffee beans are referred to as ‘green coffee’ and are ready to be shipped to the importing country’s roaster.