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

Hacienda La Papaya – Typica Mejorado (Yeast Natural)

This is September’s fourth release from celebrated Ecuadorian producer Juan Peña. A yeast-inoculated natural process, this lot brings a distinctly jammy sweetness and a vibrant, crisp finish to the classic Typica Mejorado profile.

Processing begins with meticulous selection—only the ripest cherries are harvested. Upon arrival, the cherries are cleaned to remove leaves and debris, then disinfected to reduce microbial load. Once prepped, they are placed into fermentation tanks, where Intense Coffee yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) is added at a rate of 2g per kilogram of cherry.

Fermentation begins with a pH of 5.80–6.00 and is closely monitored until reaching pH 4.00, typically around 38 to 48 hours. At this point, fermentation is halted, and the cherries are rinsed briefly with clean water before being transferred directly to the drying rooms.

Hacienda La Papaya, located in the Saraguro region of southern Ecuador, sits at 1,900–2,100 MASL and spans 28 acres. Just 20 km from Saraguro itself, the project began in 2009 with planting initiated in 2010. From the outset, the vision was clear: produce exceptional quality using agronomically-led practices and cutting-edge infrastructure, including drip irrigation across all 35,000 trees.

Juan Peña—founder, director, and partner of Hacienda La Papaya—has earned three consecutive Sprudge Notable Producer awards, a reflection of the farm’s status as one of the most consistent and forward-thinking producers in Ecuador.

Flavour Notes: Juicy Strawberry, Raspberry, Jammy

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.