PHOTOSYNTHESIS - Mexico

Mexico, Oaxaca
Varietal: Bourbon, Typica
Process: Natural
Altitude: 1,200 - 1,300 masl

Juicy cherry with a jammy mouthfeel, marzipan sweetness and strawberry notes.

This is an exceptional coffee and one that is close to my heart, personally. I met Producer Maricela Esperòn at the end of March this year. She and her family have had a challenging path to get where they are. Maricela’s father should have inherited his father's farm, but because he had a daughter and no sons of his own, the farm was passed onto his siblings. While her father continued to work on farms, and her mother sold weaved goods at local markets, Maricela moved to the city to find work. They all saved to buy a small plot of land to grow coffee. Now, they have 6 hectares split across eight plots. Knowing the potential of her coffee, Maricela has gone to great lengths to capitalise on that potential. Not only is she the only producer in the region doing natural process, she also invested in shade-covered raised beds, which she installed on the roof of her house. The beds significantly impact the cup quality of the coffee but come with their challenges. With the cold nights and the condensation in the mornings, she has to bag the cherries, take them back into the house overnight and re-lay them every morning.