Ecuador — Pepe Jijón Fincas del Putushio Typica Mejorado (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍓 Strawberry Cotton Candy • 🍑 White Peach • 🍍 Tropical Fruit • 🌸 Floral Sweetness

DETAILS

• Producer: Pepe Jijón
• Farm: Fincas del Putushio
• Region: Intag Valley, Imbabura, Ecuador
• Varietal: Typica Mejorado
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,515 MASL
• Size: 150g

INTRO

A floral and juicy washed Typica Mejorado from Fincas del Putushio in Ecuador — part of POMA’s Research Rarities Collection, highlighting rare varieties and experimental processes from their research collaborations.

Owned by Pepe Jijón, a former Ecuadorian mountaineer turned passionate coffee farmer, Fincas del Putushio embodies environmental purpose. Hand-sorted ripe cherries were depulped and dry-fermented for 24–36 hours, then cold-dried on African beds under rotation every 30 minutes — ensuring a clean, floral character with bright and vibrant acidity.

THE PRODUCER

High in Ecuador’s misty Intag Valley, the Fincas del Putushio estate (including the Finca Soledad lot where much of POMA’s work is focused) spans 120 hectares of biodynamic cloud forest, with just four hectares devoted to coffee.

Founded in 2010 by José Ignacio "Pepe" Jijón — a former mountaineer and Seven Summiteer — the farm began as a reforestation project and has since replanted over 25,000 trees, turning deforested land into a thriving ecosystem. Pepe and his family champion ethical labour and community care, employing and supporting local single mothers whilst resisting regional mining pressures.

Honoured in 2024 with Sprudge’s Most Notable Producer award, Fincas del Putushio carries forward a vision that fuses ecological restoration, community empowerment and world-class Ecuadorian coffee.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Fincas del Putushio involves:

• 🍒 Hand Harvest — Ripe Typica Mejorado cherries are hand-picked at peak maturity.
• 🔧 Rapid Depulping — Cherries are depulped within hours of arrival at the wet mill.
• 🧪 Dry Fermentation — Beans ferment for 24–36 hours to develop a bright, clean profile.
• 💧 Thorough Rinsing — After fermentation, beans are rinsed to remove all remaining mucilage.
• ❄️ Cold-Bed Drying — Beans dry slowly on raised African beds for 10–20 days, rotated every 30 minutes.
• 🌡️ Cloud Forest Climate — Year-round cloud-forest mist preserves vibrant acidity and delicate florals.

The result showcases the refined, elegant character of Typica Mejorado — layered florals, bright structured acidity and a silky body.

THE CUP

POMA describes this coffee as floral and juicy — alive with strawberry cotton candy, white peach and tropical fruit, balanced by bright acidity and a silky body. The washed process highlights the variety’s hallmark delicacy and floral complexity.

Low-yielding and demanding to grow, Typica Mejorado remains rare and highly sought-after in the specialty world. A standout expression of Ecuadorian terroir and meticulous processing.

Flavour Notes

• 🍓 Strawberry Cotton Candy
• 🍑 White Peach
• 🍍 Tropical Fruit
• 🌸 Floral Sweetness