2026 Carlos Saenz; Machay Pata - Peru

This release continues our exploration of the SL9* variety from the remarkable region of Amaybamba. Coffees from this area have been extraordinary this season. In the cup we find mango, jasmine, and lychee.

Sey Coffee sources this lot from Carlos Saenz in Amaybamba, a region in Peru's high-altitude coffee-producing interior. Peru has quietly become a point of interest for specialty buyers drawn to its diversity of microclimates and smallholder producers working in relative isolation from more commercialized supply chains.

The varietal here is SL9, a selection with roots in Kenyan research programs, though relatively uncommon in South American lots — its presence in Peru points to deliberate experimentation at the farm level. Varietals from the SL lineage are often associated with pronounced fruit clarity and brightness, qualities that align with the mango, jasmine, and lychee character Sey describes. Consulting the coffee flavor wheel can help contextualize how floral and tropical-fruit descriptors like these tend to cluster — often signaling delicate acidity and aromatic lift rather than heavier, earthier profiles.