The city of Jaén, capital of the larger province sharing the same name, is undoubtedly the hub of Northern Peru’s bustling coffee trade. Historically, the highest-regarded areas for coffee in Jaén province have been north of the city. In 2017, our exporting partner Origin Coffee Lab (OCL) began tasting samples from lesser-known districts in the remote and mountainous areas to the west and southwest of the province. These coffees’ flavor profiles were unique, and OCL began purchasing small lots at prices well above the regional average. Since then, OCL has opened a cupping lab in the region and purchases coffees from farms located in Colasay, San Felipe, and Chontalí. In the center of these communities stands a large mountain called La Viuda (“The Widow”). This towering peak is a geographical focal point, visible from many of the small communities in the area.
We first visited and purchased coffees from Colasay during the 2019 harvest. When searching for a name for this new project, we sought input from both OCL and their producer partners. "La Viuda" was the resounding answer. It’s an ideal moniker, as the producers in these communities seek to have their coffees recognized from afar as amongst the best in Peru. This year’s selections for La Viuda come primarily from the communities of La Higuera and Bomboca in the Colasay district.
