Origin: Mexico
Region: Coatepec, Veracruz
Producer(s): Alejandro Martinez
Variety: Anacafe 14
Altitude: 1120 Meters Above Sea Level
Processing: Washed Process
Flavor Notes: Caramel Apple + Lime
As we move into early fall, fresh-crop coffees from many coffee producing countries in Central America begin arriving in the United States. This is an exciting time for us as we start looking for excellent coffees that showcase the flavors that each region produces.
We have always had a soft spot for coffees from Mexico. It is the only coffee-producing country that we share a border with (although, we do grow a very small amount in the US), but yet it sometimes gets overlooked. In the 1970s, the government invested heavily in making coffee a big business, but after a few decades the markets collapsed, hitting smallholder farmers hard. Then in 2014, a coffee disease, called Roya, swept through many crops and decimated the harvests. Needless to say, these challenges have not prevented many farmers in the country from being able to produce some truly spectacular coffees.
Alejandro Martinez is one of those farmers! He owns and operates a 250 hectare farm called San Jose. On that farm, he has 60 hectares where he grows several varieties of coffee. Among them is Anacafe 14, of which this lot comprises. This variety is a naturally occurring cross between Pacamara and Catimor that is known for its good cup quality, large yield, and resilience to the above-mentioned Roya. Once the coffee is harvested, it is fermented for around 18 hours, after which it is depulped and washed. The coffee is then dried for around 32 days on a rooftop drying structure, called a casa elba.
After going through many hands, this coffee made its way to our roastery in Saint Paul. We find flavors of sweet and tart apple, warm caramel, and a pleasant lime zest all supported by a nectary body. These flavors have us thinking of cooler autumn days, where a warm cup of coffee is a welcome companion to the crisp mornings. Enjoy!
All coffees are available in whole bean only.
We roast and ship on Mondays and Thursdays. Orders placed Thursday through Sunday at midnight will roast and ship on Monday. Orders placed Monday through Wednesday at midnight will roast and ship on Thursday.
