Mamaruntu - Marcos Herrera - Natural SL28 - Nanolot

Who is Marcos Herrera?

Marcos Herrera is a producer from the village of Rodríguez Tafur, located at 1,700 masl in the district of Lonya Grande, Amazonas. Known locally and nationally as one of Peru’s most skilled specialty coffee growers, he placed 2nd at the Lonya Grande regional competition in 2023 and has been cultivating coffee since childhood.

Since 2014, Marcos has invested heavily in planting Geisha, Bourbon, and the exceptionally rare SL28 variety. In 2024, he achieved 14th place at the Cup of Excellence with his Natural Geisha—the same coffee we sourced for this year after reserving our lot early, knowing demand would push it into the auction.

About Marcos and Mamaruntu

Marcos inherited his father’s farm, originally called Oso Perdido (“Lost Bear”), a nickname given to his father who would walk the countryside alone tending to the land. Today, Marcos runs the farm with his wife, Kary Yoany Guevara Guevara, and their son, Marko Aurelio, continuing a family lineage rooted in coffee.
The farm is now known as Mamaruntu, named after a legendary Chachapoyas princess who captured the heart of Inca Tupac Yupanqui — a fitting symbol for a farm whose coffees often stand out with elegance and strength.

This SL28 lot comes from the west side of the property, near the farm’s entrance, producing 120 kg of green coffee in 2025 from approximately 0.5 hectares planted with 1,600 SL28 trees.

How was the coffee processed?

Harvesting begins with strict selective picking of red and wine-red cherries. After sorting by size and removing defects through flotation and manual selection, the cherries are washed and fermented in sealed containers fitted with CO₂-release valves for 60 hours.

Fermentation temperature: 15°C (day), 8°C (night)

pH change: from 6.0 → 4.0–3.5

The coffee is then dried in solar tents for 25+ days until reaching 10–11% moisture, at temperatures of 20–30°C. After drying, parchment is rested for 20+ days in GrainPro or Ecotac bags inside polypropylene sacks to stabilise and integrate the final cup profile.

How Marcos acquired SL28

SL28 is exceptionally rare in Peru. Marcos obtained his seed through a unique opportunity: in 2016, a representative from Mercanta visited his farm and proposed bringing SL28 from Kenya, calling it one of the world’s greatest varieties. He returned in 2017 with the seed, and Marcos began cultivating a small number of plants. After seeing how well they adapted — and recognising the remarkable cup quality — he expanded the plot and began reproducing more trees.

What Marcos thinks of this SL28

Marcos describes this SL28 as a robust, well-adapted tree that produces uniform, high-quality cherries with excellent physical performance. Cuppers locally consistently praise its complexity and distinctiveness, and Marcos views it as one of the most exciting coffees on his farm. When we cupped it, we also found it vibrant, structured, and unusually expressive — a standout example of what SL28 can become in the Peruvian Andes.