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Ecuador Hacienda la Papaya Oak Barrel Typica Natural
This microlot from Juan Peña is a single variety (Typica) that's been fermented in oak barrels before being natural processed making for an intense and unique cup. Complex with a full body and silky texture, it's intensely fruity with notes of nectarine, mixed berries, tropical fruit and, as you might expect, oak!
To call this coffee a rare treat would be an understatement. High end Ecuadorian coffee is already hard to find, but a single variety (in this case Typica) that's been oak barrel fermented?! That's a needle in a haystack. The care involved with this coffee really shines through in the cup. While the profile may be twisty and intense, it feels so intentional. It's got moderate acidity and a full body with a silky texture. The flavors are very fruit forward with notes of guava, raspberry and tropical fruit. Which tropical fruit? Pick one. Or all of them! We leaned toward passion fruit since it's juicy sweet but there's also a subtle tartness there. And maybe it's just the power of suggestion, but we also got oak notes coming through the mix along with a hint of spiciness.
Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: February 11th, 2022
Acidity & Brightness: Moderate acidity, very sweet
Balance & Finish: Slightly complex, lingering nutty finish
Body & Texture: Full bodied, creamy texture
Flavors: Nectarine, mixed berries, tropical fruit & oak
Grade: SHG (Strictly high Grown) very dense, grown at 1900-2100 masl
Processing: Natural processed: Fermented in oak barrels for 5 days then dried on raised beds for 30 days
Grower: Hacienda La Papaya | Juan Peña
Region: Saraguro, Loja Province, Ecuador
Varieties: Typica
Recommended Roast Range: City to Full City (Light to medium)
Start with a City+ (Light-medium), or or at the tail end of 1st crack. If you're looking for more fruity sweetness, try a City roast (light, ~45 seconds into 1st crack) and if you prefer to bring out more oak and rounded sweetness, push the roast into Full City (medium, after 1st crack but before 2nd). We'd suggest avoiding roasts going more than a couple seconds into second crack though.
Royal Coffee - "Have you ever paused to think about all of the amazing origin countries that the equator passes through? The most obvious, Ecuador, might not be the first to come to mind. Ecuador is one of the more elusive origins, likely the result of a high cost of production, which makes it more difficult to compete in a global market. Juan Peña, who holds a degree in agronomy, established an export company called CaféExporto to establish ways to capture quality premiums from coffee grown at his farm called Hacienda La Papaya. Juan’s passion for research has helped him unlock the potential for quality with different varieties and processing methods. This lot is an example of careful selection of the typica variety and unique processing methods. Carefully harvested cherries are fermented in oak barrels for 5 days and then gently dried on raised beds for up to 30 days before the coffee is moved to CaféExporto, which provides crucial logistical support for things like warehousing and preparing coffee for export to the international market."
