Description
About the Spring Bouquet:
Exporting high-quality coffee from Bolivia has always been a struggle. Political instability, difficult logistics, and limited infrastructure have stacked the odds against producers for years.
In La Paz and the hills of Caranavi, that reality is part of daily life. Juan Boyan Guarach runs a small dry mill in the capital, while Carmelo Yujra Ticona and Deysi Ramos Carrillo work their farm with persistence and care. Nothing comes easy, and nothing is guaranteed—but they keep showing up, pushing through, and slowly building something better for Bolivian coffee.
Ukkei’s latest release, Spring Bouquet, is a direct result of that work. It’s a floral, fruit-driven coffee that carries a clear sense of place—bright, expressive, and shaped by the landscape it comes from. Roasted light, it’s best suited for pour-over, where its clarity and structure really open up.
This washed Java lot was harvested between June and October last year. From there, it began a long journey—over six months—from the farm in Caranavi, high in the mountains at 1,750 metres above sea level, to La Paz, then onward to Amsterdam, and finally arriving at our London roastery in April 2026.
When we finally put it on the roaster and cupped it, the result was simple: it was worth the wait.
About Carmelo Yujra Ticona and Deysi Ramos Carrillo, the coffee farm owner:
Carmelo Yujra Ticona and Deysi Ramos Carrillo are part of a quiet shift in Bolivia’s Caranavi region—one built on persistence, experience, and care.
Their farm, Finca Senda Salvaje—“wild road”—sits deep in a remote landscape shaped by long journeys and limited infrastructure. Life here is grounded and in motion, with family, work, and nature closely intertwined.
Before starting their own farm, Carmelo and Deysi worked as quality managers for the Cup of Excellence. Exposure to some of Bolivia’s best coffees pushed them to pursue something of their own—coffee defined by precision and potential. They acquired their land from an elderly farmer, recognising its rich soil and believing it could produce exceptional lots.
Carmelo’s approach combines experience with constant refinement. He focuses on varieties like Java for their resilience and clarity, while improving practices such as lot separation and fermentation. Around him, a new generation of producers is beginning to emerge, building on shared knowledge and experimentation.
Deysi anchors the other side of the work. She runs the family café near their home, where their coffee is brewed and served, supported by their children. Together, the farm and café form a small, self-sustaining system rooted in daily life.
After years of exporting, production was disrupted by leaf rust, forcing them to step back from international markets. Now, as they begin to export again, their focus is simple: to work with partners who value long-term relationships and shared commitment.
For Carmelo and Deysi, coffee is a process of continual improvement—always working toward something better, and passing that knowledge forward.
About Juan Boyan Guarach, the coffee dry mill owner:
In Bolivia, where coffee supply chains are often difficult to access, Juan Boyan Guarach has become a key link between small producers and the wider world.
After more than two decades at Agricafe, Juan founded his own dry mill in La Paz in 2019. His goal is simple: to work with smallholders whose coffees rarely leave their communities, and help bring them to international markets.
Juan began in coffee at 16, carrying sacks in a factory. A chance meeting with Don Pedro of Agricafe led him into a larger role, where he spent years managing quality, operations, and thousands of micro-lots. Over time, he saw how many producers lacked access to processing and market visibility—something he set out to change.
Starting his own mill came with risk. Working alone, under financial pressure, he relied heavily on the support of his wife to keep going. Despite the challenges, he built a space where producers can bring their coffee to be properly processed and prepared for export.
Today, farmers from across Bolivia come to Juan with their lots. He evaluates, processes, and manages each one with care, often taking on risk himself to support those with limited means.
For Juan, the focus remains clear: to give unseen coffees a path to the world.
Green Coffee Importer: Typica
