Mexico | Ricardo Romero Roque

This coffee comes from Ricardo Romero Roque on his 2-hectare farm in the remote area of San Francisco Ozolotepec. This marks our sixth year working with Ricardo, and this lot is one of the most memorable to date. It is a blend of Typica and Bourbon grown at 1800 MASL, harvested in April 2026. We find the cup to have a full sweetness with a round and coating mouthfeel. We are tasting notes of strawberry, drinking chocolate, and cooked orange along with a slight wineyness while maintaining a very clean profile. 

Ricardo has been involved in coffee production his entire life. He collaborates with around 90 other producers from neighboring villages. He continually learns and improves practices to enhance the quality of his coffee. This region is one of the more challenging areas to work in within Mexico, as it is a closed indigenous Zapotec community. Most people in San Francisco Ozolotepec and the surrounding communities speak very little Spanish, communicating primarily in Zapotec. This year Ricardo's harvest was down by 70%, producing only 200kg. 

Cherries are picked at peak ripeness and are left to rest in cherry before being depulped. The cherries are then dry fermented for 48-72 hours. After fermentation, the seeds are washed and dried on handwoven Petate mats.