Part of the Squall series, this series features more exotic coffees.

This is the fourth time September has featured award-winning producer Juan Peña, and Mejorado is a perfect reminder why he’s so beloved. The cup is clean and refined, with juicy pear sweetness, delicate florals, and a bright, lemon-like acidity.

Hacienda La Papaya, at 28 acres and 1900–2100 MASL, is a pioneer of coffee cultivation in the Saraguro region. Located 20km from Saraguro, the project began in 2009 with planting in 2010. The farm focuses exclusively on high-quality varieties, advanced agricultural technology, and meticulous management by trained agronomists. Every one of the 35,000 plants is cared for with drip irrigation, ensuring consistency and quality. Juan Peña, founder, director, and partner, has been recognised with three consecutive Sprudge Notable Producer awards.

Harvested cherries are hand-picked, fully de-pulped, and fermented in pure water for around 15 hours. They are then moved to drying rooms and carefully dried over 11 days. This attention to detail at every stage ensures clean, delicate flavours. Each lot arriving from Hacienda La Papaya during the September–November harvest is meticulously coded, sampled, and analyzed at the Cafexporto laboratory. Parchment coffees pass through threshing, size classification, cleaning, and visual inspection, followed by physical and sensory quality checks before packing for shipment. Every step is designed to preserve the integrity and character of the coffee, delivering a cup that speaks to the care of the producer and the farm.

Flavour Notes: Crispy Pear, Lemonade, Floral

What is the roast recency?

September doesn't generally advertise a roast preference to Filter or Espresso, however, this is an exception and this particular bag is best enjoyed as espresso!

We recommend brewing with beans that are at least two weeks off roast. All beans are roasted to peak flavour at around 8-12 weeks. We have the option to either purchase standard beans (at least 2 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks off roast), or rested beans (at least 7 weeks off roast, no longer than 12). For peak flavour, if you are looking to use immediately, we recommend purchasing the rested beans. If you are adding to your rotation of beans, we recommend purchasing the standard and allowing the beans to naturally rest and mature whilst you rotate through other beans.