I know the bag says “Finca Perla Chiquita,” but today’s coffee comes Finca Las Cinco (which may also be referred to “Perla Chiquita”). The farm consists of five hectares, which is where it gets the “Las Cinco” name.
Fabian Lomas owns this small estate, which is located in Northern Ecuador, in a region called Pichincha. He grows only two varieties: Typica and a new experimental variety that we’ve never had here at the Table called Sidra (or, “cider”).
Altitudes around Pinchicha range from 1300-1400 meters above sea level, which is relatively low. However, the way the fog rolls into these specific hills slows down cherry maturation. This allows the coffees to develop beautiful intensity and aromatics, as though they were grown at much higher altitudes.
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping a cup of Ecuador Finca Las Cinco from Black Cup Cafe Del Mundo in Anchorage, Alaska. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THEDETAILS:
region: Nanegal, Pichincha, Ecuador
farm: Finca Las Cinco
producer: Fabian Lomas
association: N/A
elevation: 1350 meters above sea level
cultivars: Sidra
process: fully washed, patio dried
certifications: standard
BREWINGSPECS:
method: Kalita Wave
grind: 18, Preciso
coffee: 22 g
water: 250 g
water temp: 204°
bloom: 1:00
pour: 2:00 concentric pulse pour
CUPPINGNOTES:
The aroma of the Ecuador Finca Las Cinco is wonderfully fragrant; it’s not a very forward aroma – rather, it’s mild and nuanced, but the scents it presents are really nice: apple pie, brown sugar, honeysuckle, elderberry, and a meadow of wild flowers.
The Spanish “Sidra,” the name of this coffee’s cultivar, translates to “cider,” and that doesn’t seem to be a misnomer as I take my first few sips of the cup immediately post-brew. The very first flavors I taste are hot apple cider, honey, and the spiciness of nutmeg and coriander.
As the cup cools, it becomes a much more floral-forward affair. It remains as full-bodied as ever, and its mouthfeel is a creamy mixture of caramel and honey, but that serves as a foundation for nuances of honeysuckle, marigold, eucalyptus, and lilac that tickle the sides of the tongue and roof of the mouth. There’s a bit of sweet fruitiness here in the back half of the cup, but the intensity of those fruits is very demure: cantaloupe, apple, red grape, and a mild clementine acidity.
Full body; creamy mouthfeel; citrus acidity; dry finish.
FINALTHOUGHTS:
When Black Cup Cafe Del Mundo agreed to submit a couple coffees to the Table for review, they were very, very excited about this particular coffee: their Ecuador Finca Las Cinco. Their excitement was twofold: for one thing, they just really like this coffee; but I think they were more excited about the fact that this is the coffee that Black Cup’s store trainer, Brian Benavente, will be competing with at this weekend’s Brewers Cup competition in Long Beach, California.
Jokingly, I told him that I’d let him know whether he stood a chance or not; seriously, though, I want to let him know that if he does his part, this coffee will certainly do its part.
This was a fantastic coffee; perfect for braving those cold Alaskan nights. Fully developed, full-bodied, fully flavored. More than all of that, though, it was just a really tasty cup of coffee.
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Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.