Ecuador — Juan Peña, Hacienda La Papaya, Washed Mejorado

Tastes Like — 🍏 Green Apple • 🍋 Limeade • 🌸 Orange Blossom 

DETAILS

• Producer: Juan Peña

• Farm: Hacienda La Papaya

• Region: Saraguro, Loja, Ecuador

• Varietal: Mejorado

• Process: Washed

• Altitude: 2,000 MASL

• Harvest: September 2025

• Size: 250g

INTRO

An elegant and clean Mejorado from Juan Peña's celebrated Hacienda La Papaya. This is a coffee of layers: stone fruit, green apple, and citrus up front, supported by florals of orange blossom and rose. As the cup cools, a clear, bright limeade acidity reveals itself — precise and refreshing. Ilse's team call this one of their favourite lots from Juan, and it is immediately clear why.

His Mejorado has become a firm favourite and this season's offering is particularly impressive.

THE PRODUCER

Juan Peña has been producing high-quality coffee at Hacienda La Papaya for many years. What began as a rose farm transitioned to coffee production in 2009, with the first export following in 2014 — marking the beginning of a well-earned reputation for both exceptional quality and a scientific approach to cultivation. Located at 2,000 MASL on his 11-hectare farm in Saraguro, Loja, Peña takes a data-driven approach to farm management, always seeking to improve quality through experimentation and precision.

Innovation and experimentation are at the heart of everything at Hacienda La Papaya — Peña continually pushes the boundaries of what is possible with each variety he grows, and the results speak for themselves.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Hacienda La Papaya involves:

• 🍒 Selective Harvest — Cherries picked at peak ripeness and floated to remove defects

• 🔧 Depulping — Ripe cherries depulped immediately

• 💧 Submerged Fermentation — Seeds submerged in water and fermented for 15 hours

• 💧 Thorough Rinsing — Seeds thoroughly rinsed to remove all remaining mucilage

• 🌡️ Drying Room Drying — Seeds moved to drying rooms and dried on raised beds for 10–18 days

The submerged fermentation and controlled drying environment deliver the exceptional clarity and citrus precision that defines this Mejorado.

THE CUP

Elegant and layered. Green apple and citrus open the cup brightly, with orange blossom and rose weaving florals throughout. As the temperature drops, a clear limeade acidity emerges — refreshing, precise, and lingering. A showcase lot for one of Ecuador's finest farms.

Flavour Notes

• 🍏 Green Apple

• 🍋 Limeade

• 🌸 Orange Blossom