GARANCALQUI

About This Coffee

This is a fascinating coffee and a rare variety, colloquially known as ‘Typica Americana.’ Its distinctive profile caught our attention immediately. In the cup we find a jam-like sweetness, apricot, and an almost salted plum quality. During our recent trip to Peru, we encountered two rare coffee varieties: Gesha Inca, which we refer to as SL9 after genetic testing, and Typica Americana. Rene Arellanos Ore produced the highest-scoring Typica Americana we tasted on the trip, marking the first time we have ever purchased and roasted this variety. While it belongs mainly to the Bourbon/Typica lineage, it has been hybridized with Catimor at some point, and its DNA does not match any known profiles in current databases. Even more surprising is the cup quality—exceptional for a hybrid and truly unlike anything we have tasted before. Genetic testing revealed that Typica Americana does not match any known variety in existing databases. While it closely resembles Bourbon or Typica, it carries two alleles of introgression, indicating ancestry linked to a Catimor or Sarchimor cross. Similar genetic profiles have been observed in older Catimor selections from Puerto Rico, adding to the mystery and uniqueness of this variety.