Releasing September 21st - 10am EST

Tasting Like: Sencha Green Tea, Green grapes, Green Matcha Latte Finish, Subtly Savory, Fragile Florality 

(Note: This roast profile teeters on ultralight territory- comparable to Sey-light. Additional rest is recommended) 

Farm: Finca Lugmapata
Producers: Hermanos Merino
Variety: Typica Mejorado
Process: Anaerobic Washed
Origin: Pallatanga, Ecuador
Altitude: 1900masl 

Ecuadorian coffees roast incredibly unique. I've almost never come across a light roast of Pepe Jijon's or Hermanos Merino's coffees that have not appeared darker on the outer bean just to be incredibly light and fragile in the cup. It's odd but is a testimony to the incredible diversity of our industry sourcing from all over the globe. As far as the Typica Mejorado variety goes, it's most sought after from Ecuador, especially from Ecuador's industry leaders like Pepe and Hermanos Merino - Hermano in particular has dominated COE in Ecuador pretty much all years of the 2020s. We're humbled to have received a small allocation of this coffee and it's blown us away. Super fragile, floral with a bright Japanese Sencha Green Tea and creamy Green Matcha Latte finish. Umami and green grape acidity mouthfeel follow for a unique and light Typica experience we're loving. When quality controlling profiles for this coffee, we had to scramble to take our notes as we were drinking our cups too fast. As an additional note from our experience, additional rest is highly recommended, this is a true light roast, to some it may encroach into ultralight territory - either way additional rest is prescribed here. Target 40-60 days if you're willing, not mandatory as this cup started shining seven days off trial roasts. 

Let's get into the details together. The Merino family's story at Finca Lugmapata is deeply rooted in both tradition and innovation - this farm has belonged to the family for over one hundred years, though coffee production is relatively recent, beginning just in 2016. The farm's name itself tells a story: "Lugmapata" honors the childhood memory of Enrique Merino eating lugma fruit with his siblings. What makes their approach particularly fascinating is their meticulous processing: their cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness, floated to remove defects, then held for twenty-four hours in cherry before undergoing anaerobic fermentation. This practice preserves the delicate characteristics that make Typica Mejorado so desirable. Speaking of which, a little fun fact for you - recent genetic testing by World Coffee Research has revealed that despite its name, Typica Mejorado isn't actually related to Typica at all - it's a cross between Bourbon and an Ethiopian landrace variety, which explains its intense florality and complex acidity profile. The Merinos have also developed a coffee nursery that they've made available to their entire local community, providing training and education to help other producers transition into specialty coffee - exactly the kind of community-focused approach that defines sustainable coffee growing. Just another reason we're loving this lot. We hope you do too. 

A bit more about the area:
Pallatanga sits in the Chimborazo province's fertile valleys, where the combination of volcanic ash soils and stable climate creates ideal conditions for cultivating delicate varieties like Typica Mejorado. What sets this region apart is its ability to produce coffees with bright tea-like characteristics - a subtle umami quality and fragile florality that makes coffee's like this Ecuadorian lot so distinctive. The high elevation at nineteen hundred meters allows for a nice and slow cherry growth, which develops complex flavor compounds to translate into the green tea and matcha notes we're experiencing. The Merinos' success - placing third in Ecuador's Taza Dorada competition in 2016 and winning first place in 2017 - demonstrates the incredible potential of this terroir when combined with precise farming and processing techniques. And if you're curious, you'll find them dominating Cup Of Excellence in Ecuador almost every year, consistently placing in the top ten yearly. What excellent history, what excellent coffee.

Recommended Music to accompany brewing: The Quintessence by LudoWic
Includes QR code to applicable Tasting Guide™