Terroir Project
The Terroir Project represents, to me, a fresh rethinking of the prevailing trends in coffee sourcing culture.
In the world of specialty coffee, the focus in recent years has largely been on single varieties and single estates. These coffees are often celebrated because they reflect the producer’s individual philosophy and craftsmanship. In contrast, blended varieties or mixed-farm lots have long been considered inferior or lower quality.
However, during our visits to coffee origins, we’ve observed a different reality. If a producer lacks sufficient resources or knowledge, even a “single” variety from a single farm can suffer in terms of quality. This is where the Terroir Project takes a counter-approach: by leveraging the skills and resources of experienced post-harvest teams, we blend coffees from different producers or varieties, then process them in a way that enhances their potential, ultimately creating higher-quality coffees. This has become the foundation of Oasis’s new sourcing approach for the coming year.
The concept is somewhat inspired by blended wines, where one can taste the artistry of the blender, as well as the terroir of a specific region and vintage.
The first release under Oasis’s Terroir Project comes from Boquete, Panama, targeting Geisha coffee cherries grown above 1,600 meters from multiple producers, processed with a single-layer sun-drying technique.
In 2024, the Tri-Up team set foot in Panama and commissioned a special sun-dried Geisha lot.
Firm believers in the impact of altitude on coffee quality, the Tri-Up team decided to focus on Geisha cherries grown at elevations above 1,600 meters. Not only was this batch grown at high altitudes, but it was also a late harvest, picked around May 2024. This combination of high elevation and late harvesting brings out greater flavor intensity and enhanced sweetness in the coffee.
We’re particularly fond of the Boquete region for its elegant floral aromas and vivid acidity, so we chose this terroir for the project. This batch is not from a single estate, but rather a blend of late-harvested lots from three different producers, all located above 1,600 meters.
Despite the mixed origins, the processing method was unified: a single-layer sun-drying technique. The whole cherries were selectively handpicked and then slowly dried in low-temperature drying rooms, preserving their delicate characteristics.