Ecuador — Pepe & Family Finca Soledad Mejorado (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍓 Fresh Strawberry • 🌺 Hibiscus • 🍮 Dulce de Leche

DETAILS

• Producer: Pepe & Family
• Farm: Finca Soledad
• Region: Imbabura, Ecuador
• Varietal: Mejorado
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,515 MASL
• Harvest: March 2026

INTRO

Pepe is love, nature, and energy — all of which he pours into every lot he produces. This new season Mejorado from Finca Soledad is another very small, regenerative, and organic selection from one of Ecuador's most ecologically extraordinary and community-minded farms. Sweet, fruited, and deeply expressive. In the cup: fresh strawberries, hibiscus, and dulce de leche.

THE PRODUCER

Pepe and his family are inspiring producers with equally remarkable farms. Finca Soledad is a biodynamic operation situated within 120 hectares of cloud forest — one of the most ecologically diverse environments SEY have encountered. Sidra, Gesha, and Mejorado are cultivated on just 4 hectares within this expansive landscape, farmed with a deep commitment to regenerative and organic practices that reflect a principled respect for the natural environment surrounding the coffee. Beyond production, Soledad is a community-oriented project — providing support and employment opportunities for single mothers in the area, making it as much a social enterprise as a specialty coffee farm.

At $77/kg direct green, this is among SEY's most highly priced coffees — a reflection of both the extraordinary quality and the values embedded in every decision made at the farm.

Mejorado is a variety mainly grown in Ecuador. Colloquially known as Typica Mejorado, genetic testing by World Coffee Research has confirmed it is not actually a Typica — it is a Bourbon variety cross-pollinated with an Ethiopian Landrace, placing it alongside Gesha, Sidra, and Chiroso as another expression of Ethiopian heritage finding a remarkable home in South America.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Finca Soledad involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Mejorado cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 🛢️ Open tank hold — Held in open tanks for 12 hours before processing 🔧 De-pulping — Outer skin removed after the hold 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed to remove all fermentation residue ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Dried on raised beds with controlled airflow and sun exposure to ensure consistency throughout

The 12-hour open tank hold before de-pulping is the defining step — allowing the cherries to begin developing aromatic complexity before the fruit is removed, building the strawberry sweetness and hibiscus florality that define this lot, while the controlled raised-bed drying locks in the dulce de leche sweetness and clean structure that carry through to the finish.

THE CUP

A sweet, expressive, and beautifully layered washed Mejorado from one of Ecuador's most ecologically and socially purposeful specialty farms — fresh strawberry brightness, hibiscus florality, and a warm dulce de leche sweetness in a cup that reflects the living cloud forest and regenerative philosophy of Finca Soledad in every sip.

Flavour Notes

🍓 Fresh Strawberry 🌺 Hibiscus 🍮 Dulce de Leche