Las Nubes

With a coffee background of almost 50 years, Roberto is a walking coffee encyclopaedia – he simply knows everything about the cultivation and preparation of coffee. Due to his experience, his closeness to nature and his love for his homeland, Roberto has been a pioneer in the sustainable cultivation of coffee in harmony with nature for decades. Three years ago, he founded a small family business together with his wife Doris and their five children. Directly behind his home, he now prepares his own coffees in his own micromill with a water-saving Ecopulper. All processes are measured, and efficiently organized, leaving nothing open to chance. Just behind their processing facility they have a small cupping space and beautifully organized sample cabinet. All of the lots are processed on raised beds, focussing purely on honey and natural lots. The metal tables and shadow nets provide the cover needed during the hottest period of the day. To create perfection in humidity, they use mechanical dryers to lower the last percentages of humidity to the correct level for export.

Processing details – Lactic Natural
All cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness on Las Rubes Farm and meticulously sorted to remove under ripe or damaged fruit. To initiate fermentation, Roberto adds a measured amount of juice from previous pre-fermented cherries to the freshly harvested whole cherries. This inoculates the batch with an active community of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, accelerating fermentation and enhancing flavor complexity.
The cherries and juice are sealed inside stainless steel tanks to create an oxygen-free environment. Over the next 72 hours, lactic acid bacteria convert natural sugars into lactic acid, lowering the pH and producing creamy, fruit-forward notes. Once the ideal pH is reached, the cherries are removed and dried in thin layers on raised African beds, turned regularly for even drying until the moisture content reaches 10–12%.
The result is an intensely sweet, vibrant coffee with tropical fruit character, a silky mouthfeel, and a clean lactic finish — a signature of Roberto Mata’s lactic fermentation style.

Credit: PlotCoffee