July Recon: Peru Chonta SHB Two-Way Roast Comparison

🗺️ This Month's Lineup

We're heading to the Chontali region of Peru this month — and we brought two roasts to show you what this coffee can do.

Main Bag

Sample Bag

☕ Brewing Recommendations

This is an approachable, versatile coffee that really shines as a drip. Pull it as a espresso in your latte and the toasted almond comes forward for a pleasant, lighter espresso-based drink. That said, experiment with your favorite approach — it's hard to go wrong here.

🔍 The Recon

We knew we wanted to visit Peru this month, so we requested samples from two different regions and farms through Genuine Origin for comparison. After test roasting and cupping both, we landed on the Peru Chonta SHB from the 2026 crop year.

SHB stands for Strictly Hard Bean, a quality designator meaning the coffee was grown above 1,350 meters above sea level. Higher altitude generally points to better quality, though so many other factors influence the final product that you can't hang your hat on elevation alone.

Compared to the other Peru we tested, the Chonta stood out as balanced, sweet, and medium-bodied with a touch more brightness — a coffee with a wide range of roast potential, which made it a perfect candidate for a 2-way roast comparison.

For the main bag, we went medium to capture the full range of chocolate, plum, and almond flavor. For the sample bag, we pushed it darker to show how the coffee carries its character across roast levels. Dark cherry hit our palates first, followed by a toasty sweetness and a clean cocoa finish.

🌎 A Welcome Return

Peru is no stranger to our lineup. Before availability constraints in early 2025, Peruvian coffee was a staple at Bugle Call — in our single origins and in our blends. We're genuinely excited to bring it back, even if just for a limited time.

We have a hard time not brewing it every morning so there's enough left for you too!! Ahh, the travails of a coffee roaster… #toughlife.

Want to go deeper on this origin? Genuine Origin put together a thorough Peruvian Coffee Origin Report worth checking out.

🙏 Thanks for Being Here

We hope you're loving this month's Recon experience. If the Peru Chonta hit the spot, explore our other single origin South American coffees — including Colombia Excelso Dark, Colombia Huila Santa Maria Light, and our Brazil Medium. We're so glad you're on this journey with us.