​Episode 493 on Monday the 23rd of April, 2018. Bolivia Finca Carmelita Sol De Mañana Project Competition Winning Lot

Carmela Aduviri has been growing coffee for 40 years, whilst raising 8 children, but is always eager to learn ways she can improve her yield. She now has a small 2 Hectare farm called Carmelita and our exporting friends in Bolivia Agricafe’s message to her was that she could stay small, focusing on getting the best results from what she had, rather than having to rush to buy more land.

That means, of course, that she doesn’t produce huge amounts – but what she produces is delicious.

This lot comes from the first ever Sol De Mañana project that was held in Caranarvi September 2017. We (and in we I mean myself and Joanna Alm from Drop Coffee, Sweden) cupped coffees from the producers on the program (while being watched by them, high pressure). We were the only judges and we had to rank the coffees from one to ten. The winner got some fertiliser for their farm, and the opportunity to sell their coffee to Both Drop Coffee and Hasbean at a premium price.

The cupping was exceptional (in fact we bought some other lots too), but the decision on the winner was unanimous, and was both our favourite on the table. There was a celebration football game afterwards, where Joanna and her team of female producers, kicked our butt’s and ran out victorious. You might think that Carmelita won twice that day, but you are the real winners, getting this unique and amazing lot that is the result of the hard work of Carmelita and the exporters who run the Sol De Mañana project. New plant tissue, education and access to organic fertilisers and advice how to apply them has lead to this amazing special cup of Bolivian coffee. 

There's only enough of this coffee to send out to you lucky subscribers so this is an In My Mug exclusive coffee, you can't buy it on the website, it's all gone out to you lovely lot!

In the cup you’re going to peel open a soft and squishy nectarine then sprinkle some brown sugar on top, but then it quickly turns to being all about a big bite (not a nibble) of Fry’s Turkish Delight.

• Country: Bolivia
• Region: Caranavi
• City: Colonia Copacabana
• Farm: Carmelita
• Farmer: Carmela Aduviri
• Altitude: 1,550 m.a.s.l.
• Variety: Caturra & Catuai
• Processing system: Mechanically Washed