Batangas coffee (Café Baraco)

Kapeng barako or Café Baraco or Batangas coffee has a strong smell and distinctive flavor. It’s been a cultural staple in the Philippines for over two hundred years. Introduced to the Philippines in the mid-18th century, it became reasonably popular and, briefly, was even a desirable import in the US.

Kapeng Barako is belongs to the species Coffea liberica which big cherries and unusual flavor grown in the Philippines, predominantly in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite.

The name barako is a Tagalog word derived from Spanish varraco, which refers to a male bulls and wild boars symbolizing power and strength.

It’s tall and can reach up to 17 meters in height. For Filipinos, barako coffee is a symbol of their country. It takes its name from the Tagalog word for a male stud bull or wild boar, reflecting the fact that it’s a strong coffee.

The main characteristic of a Kapeng Barako or liberica are its huge beans which are asymmetrical and have a strong aroma. This rare species of coffee tends to have an earthy and nutty flavor to it once brewed.
Batangas coffee (Café Baraco)