berry aromatic hints with palm sugar sweetener underneath, opens up to freeze dried mango, natural dried apricot, and date.
Kailitlau is the name of a mountain in East Timor, and home to the four farmer groups whose coffees make up this small blend. Skirting the eastern ridge of Kailitlau, these mountain towns (or “suco”s in Portuguese) are situated at altitudes between 1400 to 1900 meters above sea level, and planted mostly in Timor and Typica cultivars.
Between the four villages of Lekisala, Taurema, Hatlala, and Loiludo, there are 73 farmers whose coffees went into this dry process lot, which at 24 bags total, tells you a little about farm size. Most of the farms in this region grow more than one cash crop, coffee making up 1 to 2 hectares of land each on average. While this lot may not be certified organic, coffee in the region is farmed using fully organic methods.
The effect the dry process method has on flavor is apparent in this Timor coffee. The cup profile is intense with fruit flavors, held together by a mortar of unrefined sweetness. The brewed coffee has berry-like aroma with palm sugar sweetener underneath. If you’ve ever had freeze dried fruit, there’s a flavor note that I can only describe as “powdery”. Freeze dried mango comes to mind, with notes of dried apricot, and date. Save a hint in aroma, this isn’t a berry-laden dry process, but fruit-forward nonetheless.
- Origin: Timor Leste
- Region: Letefoho, Ermera District
- Altitude: 1400-1900m
- Cultivars: Typica, Timor Hybrid
- Processing: Dry Process (Natural)
- Drying: Patio Sun-Dried
- Sourcing: Sweet Maria’s