Three Marks Coffee - Ecuador - El Alisal

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Ecuador — Leonidas Jaramillo El Alisal Batian (Natural)

Tastes Like — 🍇 Red Grapes • 🌰 Almond Oil • 🌺 Hibiscus

DETAILS

• Producer: Leonidas Jaramillo
• Farm: El Alisal
• Region: Quilanga, Loja, Ecuador
• Varietal: Batian
• Process: Natural (10-Day Anaerobic + Polytunnel Drying)
• Altitude: 2,000 MASL
• Size: 125g

INTRO

From Leonidas Jaramillo's El Alisal estate in Quilanga, Loja — a rare Batian natural from one of Ecuador's most historically rooted and internationally recognised specialty farms. A ten-day sealed anaerobic fermentation followed by a slow 30–32 day polytunnel drying produces a cup of extraordinary depth and aromatic precision. In the cup: red grapes, almond oil, and hibiscus.

THE PRODUCER

El Alisal historically formed part of the extensive La Elvira hacienda — an estate that has been managed by the Jaramillo family for generations, maintaining the tradition of coffee cultivation alongside other crops. Under Leonidas Jaramillo's stewardship, the estate has evolved significantly: carefully selected coffee varieties chosen for their exceptional flavour potential and adaptation to the farm's unique microclimate have been introduced alongside modern agricultural practices and advanced post-harvest techniques. The estate has earned national and international recognition for excellence in coffee production, and its commitment to sustainability — ecosystem revitalisation, environmental conservation, and native forest preservation — runs through every decision made on the land.

Batian is a variety developed in Kenya as a disease-resistant crossbreed, combining the genetics of SL28, SL34, Sudan Rume, N39, K7, SL4, and the Timor Hybrid. While developed for resilience rather than cup quality, its complex parentage — including the celebrated SL28 and SL34 — gives it a structural richness and aromatic potential that El Alisal's extreme altitude and meticulous processing unlock to remarkable effect.

THE PROCESS

The Natural Anaerobic process at El Alisal involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 💧 Washing & flotation — Cherries washed and sorted by flotation upon arrival at the washing station 🔒 Sealed tank fermentation — Whole cherries placed in sealed plastic tanks for 10 days of anaerobic fermentation ☀️ Initial sun drying — Spread on African beds under direct sunlight for 4–6 hours after fermentation 🏚️ Polytunnel drying — Transferred to polytunnels and dried slowly for 30–32 days to optimal moisture content

The ten-day sealed anaerobic fermentation is the defining step — five times longer than most anaerobic natural protocols, it builds an extraordinary depth of red fruit and aromatic complexity into the bean, while the two-stage drying programme — brief sun exposure followed by a month in the polytunnel — slowly and evenly locks in every nuance, producing the almond oil richness and hibiscus florality that complete the cup.

THE CUP

A deeply complex and beautifully layered natural Batian from one of Ecuador's most historically significant and technically accomplished specialty estates — red grape vibrancy, a distinctive almond oil warmth, and a delicate hibiscus florality in a cup of remarkable depth and refinement. A rare variety, treated with exceptional care.

Flavour Notes

🍇 Red Grapes 🌰 Almond Oil 🌺 Hibiscus