El Porvenir, Mexico

TASTING NOTES

dark chocolate, hazelnut, raisin, almond

COFFEE BACKGROUND

La Reforma is a small town in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca, the state that hugs Mexico’s southern coast. There, the 36 members of the El Porvenir community produced the coffees that make up this special lot. El porvenir means “the future” — and the forward-thinking community is dedicated to continual improvement. In recent years, El Porvenir’s members have cultivated new varieties like the rust-resistant Marsellesa, held workshops to learn to better analyze parchment, and adjusted techniques using feedback from cupping.

El Porvenir’s members process their coffee before it leaves their farms. They harvest ripe coffee cherries and depulp them on the same day, then ferment the seeds in a concrete tank for 8–10 hours. Next, they wash away the mucilage in fresh water, sorting out any “floaters”. Finally, they spread the seeds on a concrete patio to dry until they’ve reached the desired moisture content. This careful washing process results in a clean, mellow, and balanced cup.