Ecuador — Merino Family, Finca Lugmapata, Sidra (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍇 Red Pomelo • 🍕 Peach • 🍓 Strawberry • 🍒 Hibiscus

DETAILS

• Producer: Merino Family (Enrique Merino)
• Farm: Finca Lugmapata
• Region: Pallatanga, Chimborazo, Ecuador
• Varietal: Sidra
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,600–2,000 MASL
• Size: 125g / 4.4oz

INTRO

Finca Lugmapata sits in the highlands of Pallatanga, Chimborazo — a region that has quietly become one of Ecuador’s most exciting origins for specialty coffee. This washed Sidra from the Merino family represents a clean, terroir-driven expression of the farm’s prized Sidra trees, processed with the precision and care that has made Lugmapata a name well known to roasters the world over.

Where the anaerobic washed lots emphasise extended fermentation complexity, this washed version strips things back to let the variety speak for itself: a coffee of elegant structure, striking clarity, and vivid fruit character.

THE PRODUCER

The history of coffee at Finca Lugmapata stretches back over sixty years, when the Merino family’s father first planted coffee trees on the land. When low market prices forced him to abandon production, a handful of those original trees continued to grow, covering little more than the estate’s taxes each year — a quiet, living legacy.

It was Enrique Merino who chose to honour that legacy. Returning to the farm of his childhood, he began replanting, replacing ageing trees with new ones, and setting his sights on the specialty market. What began as an act of remembrance has since grown into a farm producing around 150 quintales of green coffee per year, with Sidra and Typica Mejorado as its flagship varieties.

Lugmapata’s commitment to quality is well-documented: they placed 3rd in Ecuador’s prestigious Taza Dorada in 2016 and took 1st place the following year. Enrique has also established a nursery to support neighbouring farmers with seedlings and training, helping to build a broader community of specialty producers across Pallatanga.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Finca Lugmapata involves:

• 🍒 Selective Harvest — Cherries hand-picked at peak ripeness
• ✓ Sorting & Floating — Sorted and floated to remove defects
• 🔧 Depulping — Fruit skin and pulp removed
• 💧 Wet Fermentation — Fermented in tanks to break down mucilage
• 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed to remove fermentation residue
• ☀ Drying — Dried on raised beds or via mechanical dryer

The result is a cup defined by clarity and varietal character — a pure, clean expression of Lugmapata’s prized Sidra.

THE CUP

This washed Sidra opens with a burst of bright, zesty red pomelo — citrus-forward and clean. Ripe peach adds a juicy, sun-warmed sweetness as the cup develops, before a lively strawberry note brings a fresh, fruit-driven lift. The finish is framed by delicate hibiscus florals, lending the cup an elegant, tea-like quality that lingers beautifully.

Flavour Notes

• 🍇 Red Pomelo
• 🍕 Peach
• 🍓 Strawberry
• 🍒 Hibiscus