Peru, La Montaña Field Blend: How to Brew It at Home
By Kiss the Hippo Coffee | London's Premier Specialty Coffee Roastery | Published: 2026-11-01
Category: How-to Guides
A step-by-step filter recipe for Peru, La Montaña Field Blend, with grind, water and timing checkpoints to bring out its green apple, caramel and hazelnut notes.
Quick answer
Brew Peru, La Montaña Field Blend as a filter coffee at a medium grind, using water just off the boil and a steady pour. This approach highlights its green apple acidity and caramel-hazelnut sweetness without letting either dominate.
Why this field blend suits a simple filter brew
This is a washed blend of local varieties from the San Ignacio region of Cajamarca, grown between 1200 and 1900 masl. The washed process keeps the cup clean, so a straightforward filter method lets the green apple, caramel and hazelnut notes come through clearly. You do not need a complex recipe to get a good result.
Grind and water: the two adjustments that matter most
Start with a medium grind that looks like sea salt. If the brew drains too fast and tastes sharp or watery, grind finer. If it stalls and tastes bitter or dry, grind coarser. Use filtered water; hard water can flatten the caramel sweetness. Water temperature should be around 94°C (just off the boil) for a balanced extraction.
When to expect the best from this coffee
The catalog lists this coffee as harvested April–June 2025. For the sweetest cup, brew it within a few months of opening the bag and store it sealed, away from light and heat. If the bag has been open for several weeks, you may need to grind slightly finer to compensate for fading aromatics.
Step-by-step filter recipe
- Weigh and heat: Weigh 15 g of coffee and heat 250 g of filtered water to about 94°C (just off the boil). A scale and thermometer remove guesswork; if you don't have a thermometer, let boiled water rest for 30 seconds.
- Rinse the filter: Place a paper filter in your dripper and rinse it with hot water, then discard the rinse water. Skipping this step can leave a papery taste that masks the coffee's caramel notes.
- Add coffee and level: Add the ground coffee to the dripper and shake gently to level the bed. An uneven bed causes water to channel, leading to uneven extraction.
- Bloom: Pour 30 g of water over the grounds, wait 30 seconds. If the bed doesn't bubble, the coffee may be stale; adjust grind finer next time.
- First pour: Slowly pour water in a spiral from the center out to 125 g total. Pouring too fast raises the water level and shortens contact time, so keep a slow, steady stream.
- Second pour: When the bed just starts to show, pour again to 250 g total. Aim for the brew to finish around 2:30–3:00 minutes; adjust grind if it's much faster or slower.
- Serve and taste: Let the brew cool for a minute, then taste. Note the balance of apple acidity and caramel sweetness. If it tastes weak, grind finer next time; if bitter, grind coarser.
About this coffee
- Peru, La Montaña Field Blend: Produced by 817 farmers local to San Ignacio Farm/Mill Cooperativa La Prosperidad de Chirinos, a cooperative founded in 1968. A consistent cooperative lot means you can expect a reliable, clean profile that responds well to simple filter brewing.
Peru, La Montaña Field Blend
