Loma del Ovejo – I’M NEW!

Description

Loma del Ovejo, Ridge of the Sheep, King of Espresso

Meet the coffee that proves sheep have excellent taste.

Loma del Ovejo, roughly translated as “The Ridge of the Sheep”, hails from the high, misty slopes of Arzobispo Chacón in Mérida, Venezuela. And yes, it’s named after the local shepherds who famously grazed their flocks on these craggy heights. The sheep knew what they were doing: turns out the best pasture for wool, and the best conditions for coffee, live 1,900 metres above the worries of the world.

That’s not just altitude for altitude’s sake. Up here in the cool Andean air, our Arabica cherries mature slowly, and as any coffee nerd will tell you, slow is where the magic happens. All that patience packs the bean with sweetness, a bright balanced acidity, and a layered aromatic complexity that lowland beans simply can’t fake.

Okay, about that altitude: 1,900 masl is serious business. We’re talking top-tier specialty territory. Hand-harvested Arabica, grown by smallholder families in shade-grown, biodiversity-boosting agroforestry plots, then washed with love and precision. The proof? A cupping score of 81.5 — and a fan club of local shepherds, but more importantly, us.

The tasting notes? Think toasted nuts rolled in lemongrass, buttery and grounding, with a bright, fresh twist that keeps every sip sparkling. It’s a variety lineup that reads like a specialty coffee tasting menu: Caturra Rojo y Amarillo, Villa Nueva, and Colombia 27.

And the reason you’re really here: Loma del Ovejo is built for espresso.

This bean is a shot-maker’s dream. The nutty, syrupy body clings to your palate, the lemongrass lift cuts through like a little Highland breeze, and the sweetness is exactly what you want under a perfect golden crema. Pull it short, pull it proud, this coffee was practically born wearing a tiny espresso cup and shouting “doppio!”

One shot and you’ll understand why the sheep never wandered down the mountain.

Loma del Ovejo. The bean worth climbing a ridge for.

• Processing method: Washed
• Maind flavour notes: Nuts and Lemongrass
• Varietal: Caturra Rojo y Amarillo, Villa Nueva, Colombia 27
• Altitude: 1,900 m.a.s.l.
• Species: Arabica
• Region: Arzobispo Chacon, Merida
• Recommended brewing method: Espresso
• Cup score: 81.5