The volcano came to say goodbye to the year. A subtle display of ridged, white surface, a white top disappearing into the clouds. A year seen out by mountains, by the blue, the still of the water.
Omens include strange cats wandering into your backyard, the morning rain and its summons of dozens of robins pecking for worms in the grass. There are the traditional symbols too: fireworks, glitter, the velvet of beautiful dresses. Young and old alike gathering together for irresponsible decisions and kisses, for dancing, for the pleasure of company as things end and, inevitably, change. Not for better or worse, only for the process itself, which is always occurring.
And now, with pops and bangs and visions of chrysanthemums in the sky, a brand new year.
Grab a friend and smooch them on the cheek. Swallow twelve grapes, as the Peruvians do, then just one more. Wear yellow for luck, a dress of red for love. There are wishes in the champagne glasses. Coins in your shoes. Just grab hold of a little more magic. Everything is new.
This January, Pollard invites you to try our Coffee of the Month pick, Peru Selva Andina. Selva Andina is an association of 497 small farms in Jaén, Cajamarca and the Amazonas. These farms grow the coffee on small plots of land, intercropped with shade trees, bananas, corn, and beans, and complete all processing on-site in micro-mills. The cooperative provides farmers with equipment and resources for sustainable practices.
After harvest and a process of fully-washing the cherries and drying them in the sun, the beans are warm and carry slight acidic notes. Once prepared, a cup of Peru Selva Andina has a flavor profile encompassing nectarine, caramel, and milk chocolate.
If you want to try something new in the new year, why not start with Pollard’s Coffee of the
Month Club? Subscribe today to receive your bag of Peru Selva Andina. If you’re hesitant, try
for a month, three months, six months, or a year. If you like it (we hope you will), subscribe until canceled. Peru Selva Andina will be available to nonsubscribers in February, but at a higher price, and stock will be limited.
Happy New Year!
Variety: Catimor, Caturra, and Pache
Region: Miraflores, Jaén, Cajamarca, Peru
Altitude: 1800 masl
Process: Fully washed and dried in sun
Harvest: July-November
Producer: Cooperativa Agraria de Servicios Múltiples Selva Andina
Tasting notes: Nectarine, caramel, milk chocolate
Love reading your regular installments, you right with such great imagery I feel transported. Maybe a coffee table book??