Chronic.'s 06PM: a Peruvian coffee thought through, bean by bean

What it is

06PM is a speciality whole-bean coffee from Chronic., an artisan roaster based in Geneva and Meyrin, active since 2017. This coffee comes from Peru, specifically from the Amazonas region, in Lonya Grande.

It’s aimed at anyone who prepares coffee at home or at the office, whatever their brewing method. The brand offers 06PM in several formats: 250 g or 1 kg packs, as whole beans to grind yourself, or pre-ground for three specific uses: French press, moka pot or espresso. That means adapting the grind to your machine, rather than the other way round.

So this isn’t a generic coffee sold in different sizes: it’s a single lot, with documented origin and processing, offered in several forms to match each person’s brewing habits.

Why it exists

Chronic. builds its range around the traceability and quality of the green beans it selects. The brand highlights speciality-grade scores above 80 points on the speciality coffee scale for the lots it roasts, including 06PM.

Behind this approach lies a simple idea: a coffee whose farm, variety, altitude and processing method are known is prepared and tasted differently from an anonymous coffee. 06PM illustrates this with an identified producer, Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera Valle Alto Ltda, and a precisely listed set of varieties rather than a simple, undefined blend.

What matters

The farm and region come first. 06PM comes from Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera Valle Alto Ltda, in the Amazonas region, in Lonya Grande, Peru. Knowing exactly where a coffee comes from, down to the producing cooperative, changes how you approach it in the cup: you’re no longer tasting a generic “Peruvian coffee”, but a geographically situated lot.

Then come the varieties. This coffee blends five different varieties: Catura, Catuai, Catimor, Bourbon and Villasarche. This varietal diversity within a single lot typically influences aromatic complexity, with each variety bringing its own characteristics to the final blend.

The processing method matters too: 06PM is washed. This post-harvest method is known for producing cups that are generally cleaner and more defined than those from a natural process, which shows through in the tasting notes highlighted by the brand.

Growing altitude also plays a role: 06PM’s coffee trees grow between 1,420 and 2,140 metres above sea level. Such a wide altitude range means the coffee cherries come from plots at different elevations, which usually contributes to the aromatic diversity of the lot once roasted.

Finally, the certification and score. 06PM is certified 100% organic, and scores above 80 points on the speciality coffee scale. This 80-point threshold is the reference generally used to distinguish so-called “speciality” coffee from standard coffee: crossing this line places 06PM in that category, according to the scoring system used by Chronic.

Day to day

Before preparing a cup of 06PM, Chronic. recommends resting the coffee for at least 15 days after roasting. This period allows the coffee to settle after the heat of roasting — worth keeping in mind if you order directly from the roaster rather than buying in-store, where the resting period may already have taken place.

For brewing, the brand considers espresso the best method to bring out this coffee. That doesn’t stop you preparing it differently: 06PM is also available pre-ground for French press or moka pot, two brewing methods more common in daily life than a home espresso machine.

As for packaging, you can choose between 250 g for occasional use or for trying the lot, and 1 kg for more regular use or for sharing. The whole-bean format suits anyone with their own grinder who wants to grind just before brewing, which generally preserves the aromas better than pre-ground coffee kept for several days.

06PM’s harvest dates from July, a useful marker for gauging the lot’s freshness relative to the picking season in Peru.

Technical specifications

Characteristic	Value
Origin	Peru
Region	Amazonas, Lonya Grande
Farm / Producer	Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera Valle Alto Ltda
Varieties	Catura, Catuai, Catimor, Bourbon and Villasarche
Process	Washed
Altitude	1,420 m – 2,140 m
Harvest	July
Intensity	Intense
Roast profile	Balanced & sweet
Organic certification	100% organic
Speciality coffee score	above 80 out of 100

What the brand says

Chronic. describes 06PM with notes of sweet orange, brown sugar and toasted almonds, a velvety body and light acidity, according to its own tasting descriptions.

The brand recommends resting the coffee for at least 15 days after roasting before drinking it, and considers espresso the best brewing method for this lot.

Beyond the product itself, Chronic. states that it donates 1% of its annual turnover to a nature conservation foundation in the Alps.

For readers in Switzerland

Chronic. roasts its coffees in Geneva and Meyrin, Switzerland, where the brand has been based since 2017. The brand also states that it donates 1% of its annual turnover to a nature conservation foundation in the Alps, a commitment tied to its local roots.