Ecuador, El Alisal, Sidra, Washed

Finca El Alisal is a renowned coffee farm with multiple recent accolades to its name. Located in Fundochamba in the South of Ecuador, the Jaramillo family has been growing coffee here for over 60 years. Yet it is only since Leonidas Jaramillo took over - in 2017 - that they focus on specialty coffee and in particular, the best scoring varieties in Ecuador. El Alisal, “the Alder Grove”, is named after the alder trees for its presence in the area and its influence on the biodiversity and microclimate. These trees and other native species provide soil balance and enhance productivity through variation. Amongst the varieties grown here, is Sidra, believed to be an Ecuadorian adaptation of Ethiopian heirloom varieties. The cherries of this specific lot are fermented in open tanks for 12 hours to kickstart fermentation, then depulped and washed and afterwards the parchment is spread out on raised beds in the shade for 1 hour, to rapidly reduce the humidity in open air. They are then moved to temperature- and humidity monitored polyshade greenhouses where they dry for 12 to 15 days. 

We sourced this coffee through our importing partner Makicuna.