15 May 2018

Nespresso - Explorations 2018: Galapagos Santa Cruz

Meet Galapagos Santa Cruz, our experts' Pick of the Year. The next edition of EXPLORATIONS took us to a low-lying volcanic island in the exotic Galapagos where an unusual microclimate and an extraordinary ecosystem combine to create a sweet cereal espresso as surprising as the land itself. What else would you expect from somewhere unlike anywhere else on earth?

An Unlikely Home For Coffee

It’s often in the most unexpected places that you find the most wondrous things. Coffee growing and high, ancient lands go hand in hand, so when we got the opportunity to sample a coffee thriving on Santa Cruz, a relatively young island in the low-lying Galapagos, we put the rule book to one side and packed our bags.

Rich, Fertile Soil Born From Volcanoes

Formed from erupting volcanic lava, the whole island is brimming with rich nutrients – from an extraordinary soil unlike most coffee growing places on earth. With over 80% of the Galapagos being a nature reserve, only very few places are allowed to carefully cultivate the land, making this rare coffee even more special, don’t you think?

Unseen Forces Collide

We all know that opposites attract and in the Galapagos, we see this first hand with two opposing ocean currents meeting to create something truly spectacular.

First, the hot climate is cooled by the Humboldt Current, flowing north along the coast of South America and via Peru. Then, the Cromwell Current flowing down from the north arrives carrying oxygen and nutrient-rich waters with it.

Where The Unusual Is The Norm

These two forces fuse and a special microclimate and prosperous land explodes. In the creation of this Arabica coffee, every one of mother nature’s wondrous elements joins together and allows coffee beans to grow in the most surprising of places.

Breaking The Rules Of Coffee

It’s widely accepted within the coffee world that the higher the altitude, the better the coffee quality. But Santa Cruz rolls its eyes at this. Imagine a coffee that tastes and roasts just like its high-altitude cousins from the Americas.

However, instead of the plants growing upwards from the lofty heights of 4,000 feet, they’re flourishing surprisingly low down at about 650 feet.

A Unique Microclimate Lets Coffee Plants Flourish At Low Altitude

Take the island’s unique cocktail of sunlight, rain and the mix of sea temperatures and you have beans that ripen slower developing more sugars and the potential for in-cup complexity. Paired with the careful picking and wet-processing and you’ve got a rounded, full bodied espresso. A split, medium roast brings sweet cereal and biscuit notes that’s surprising for the place where it grows. Meet Galapagos Santa Cruz, the coffee from an island that flies in the face of the usual.

Growing In Perfect Harmony

The only land on earth shared by marine iguanas, giant tortoises, and penguins.

This biodiversity is the Galapagos through and through; no wonder Darwin was so enchanted by the place. This delicate balance of nature’s harmony runs all the way down to the way coffee farmers respectfully harvest their coffee.

The Island's A Symphony And Everything On It Plays A Part

Farmers build rainwater catchment ponds to process their beans which they invite wild tortoises to share to escape the heat of the beating sun. Coffee plants attract and feed birds and butterflies which, in turn, they pollinate and prune. Astounded by its beauty, we bring you Galapagos Santa Cruz – a coffee that doesn’t just survive here, it thrives.

A Story In Taste

Inspired by this unusual land, our experts crafted a roasting profile to echo the careful attention the island’s farmers put into growing their crop.

A Medium Split Roast To Enhance The Fruity Aromas

When it came to the roast, the first split was for a medium time to keep all those fruit notes locked in. The second split was roasted a little darker with medium roasting time to reinforce the body and overall structure. And the result? A full-bodied espresso with roasted, sweet cereal and biscuit notes. Round, with some cacao-like bitterness, we bring you Galapagos Santa Cruz.

No comments: