What Is Single Origin Coffee? Why Three Llamas Chooses Peruvian Coffee

What does single origin coffee actually mean, and why does it matter?

At Three Llamas, we believe that knowing where your coffee comes from matters. That's why our coffee is 100% Peruvian single origin, with our beans sourced from the northern region of Cajamarca, around the town of San Ignacio.

We don't mix coffees from different origins together. Instead, we focus on the character of Peruvian coffee and use careful roasting to bring out the qualities of the beans we work with.

For us, simplicity is best when producing an exceptional cup of coffee.

What is single origin coffee?

Single origin coffee is coffee that comes from one particular geographical source rather than being blended with coffees from different origins.

The term can cover coffee from a particular country, region, cooperative, farm or even a specific lot, depending on how the coffee is sourced and sold.

One of the key benefits of single origin coffee is traceability.

You have a much clearer understanding of where the coffee has come from, rather than simply knowing that it contains beans from several different origins.

This connection between the coffee and where it was grown is also part of what makes single origin coffee so interesting.

The climate, altitude, soil, varieties grown and processing methods of a particular area can all influence the characteristics that eventually end up in your cup.

Why does the origin of coffee matter?

Coffee is an agricultural product, so where it is grown matters.

Just like wine grapes can develop different characteristics depending on where they are grown, coffee can take on different characteristics from its growing environment.

Peru is particularly interesting because of its mountainous growing regions.

At Three Llamas, our Peruvian coffee comes from the Cajamarca region in northern Peru, around the town of San Ignacio, with coffee grown at elevations above 1,600 metres.

The Andes create a landscape with significant changes in altitude, climate and growing conditions over relatively short distances.

These different growing environments create a range of microclimates, which can contribute to differences in the way coffee develops from one growing area to another.

That's one of the things we love about working with coffee from this region.

What does single origin coffee taste like?

There isn't one single flavour that defines all single origin coffee.

The whole point is that the coffee reflects the characteristics of where it was grown, as well as the variety, processing and roasting.

Peruvian coffee is often known for its balanced and approachable characteristics, and coffees from Cajamarca can show sweetness, acidity and fruit characteristics.

Depending on the coffee and roast, you may find flavours such as:

• Chocolate

• Caramel

• Berry fruit

• Honey

• Plum

• Red and yellow fruit characteristics

Our careful roasting approach is designed to highlight the qualities already present in the Peruvian green coffee rather than simply roasting the coffee to a point where the roast itself dominates the flavour.

This allows us to offer different flavour profiles and roast styles while keeping the origin of the coffee at the heart of what we do.

Where does Three Llamas coffee come from?

All of our coffee is Peruvian single origin, sourced from the northern part of Peru in the Cajamarca region, around San Ignacio.

Our coffee comes through local farming communities and cooperatives, with beans sourced from micro plots.

This means we're able to work with coffees from a particular area while supporting the farmers and communities who grow them.

Working closely with our growing partners is an important part of the Three Llamas story.

We support local farmers through cooperative relationships and pay premium prices for the coffee we purchase. We also share our knowledge and skills as food scientists to help farmers get the best possible results from their crop and encourage sustainable practices.

It's not just about buying coffee.

For us, it's about building relationships with the people who grow it and understanding the journey the coffee takes before it reaches our roastery in North Canterbury.

Can single origin coffee come from multiple farms?

Yes.

“Single origin” doesn't necessarily mean that every coffee bean came from one individual farm.

A single origin coffee can come from a particular geographical region or cooperative, depending on how the coffee is sourced and defined.

This is particularly relevant to smallholder coffee farming, where many individual farmers may grow coffee on relatively small plots.

At Three Llamas, our Peruvian coffee is sourced through cooperatives in the San Ignacio area, with coffee coming from micro plots.

The result is coffee that remains connected to a particular origin and growing region while supporting multiple local coffee-growing families.

Why does Three Llamas focus on Peruvian coffee?

We chose Peru because we believe it produces exceptional coffee and offers an incredible range of flavours.

The combination of the Andes, high-altitude growing areas and diverse microclimates creates an environment capable of producing distinctive coffees.

Rather than sourcing coffee from all over the world and blending different origins together, we've chosen to focus our attention on one country.

Peru is our specialty.

That focus allows us to build relationships with growers, understand the coffees we're working with and develop our roasting around the characteristics of Peruvian green coffee.

You can explore our Three Llamas coffee bean range to see the coffees currently available.

Our Organic Medium Roast and Organic Dark Roast are two examples of how different roasting approaches can bring out different characteristics from our Peruvian coffee.

What makes Peruvian coffee special?

Peruvian coffee is grown across a number of mountainous regions, and the flavour can vary considerably depending on where and how it is grown.

Cajamarca is one of Peru's important coffee-producing regions, and its high-altitude growing areas can produce coffees with a combination of sweetness, acidity and fruit characteristics.

For us, the exciting part is seeing what those characteristics become after careful roasting.

Our Essence Espresso is one of our coffees that showcases the style of coffee we love to roast and share.

The aim isn't to hide where the coffee comes from.

It's the opposite.

We want you to taste Peru.

From a Peruvian coffee farm to your cup

There's a lot more to single origin coffee than a label on a bag.

Behind every coffee is a growing environment, a farmer, a harvest, processing, transport, roasting and finally brewing.

At Three Llamas, we get to be one part of that journey.

Our coffee begins in northern Peru, in the Cajamarca region around San Ignacio. It then travels to our roastery in North Canterbury, where we roast it to bring out the characteristics we love in the green coffee.

From there, it ends up in your grinder, your espresso machine, your plunger or your favourite brewing method.

And that's what makes single origin coffee so interesting.

You know where it came from, and you can start to understand why it tastes the way it does.

Why choose single origin coffee?

If you want to explore how coffee can differ from one origin to another, single origin is a great place to start.

It gives you the opportunity to experience the characteristics of a particular growing region rather than having those characteristics combined with coffees from elsewhere.

For Three Llamas, focusing on one origin also means we can put our time and energy into understanding one country and building relationships with the people who grow our coffee.

One country. One origin. A whole lot of coffee to explore.

If you'd like to taste the difference for yourself, explore our Peruvian specialty coffee range or visit us at our Woodend café and roastery.

And once you've found your favourite, you can keep fresh Three Llamas coffee coming with our coffee subscriptions.