Ecuador — Juan Peña Hacienda La Papaya B7 (Anaerobic Natural)

Tastes Like — 🍑 Plum • 🍒 Cherry • 🍫 Chocolate

DETAILS

• Producer: Juan Peña
• Farm: Hacienda La Papaya
• Region: Saraguro, Loja, Ecuador
• Varietal: B7
• Process: Anaerobic Natural
• Score: 87 SCA
• Roast: Filter

INTRO

From Juan Peña's Hacienda La Papaya in Saraguro — a naturally processed B7, one of the rarest and most unusual varietals in the farm's exceptional portfolio. Elegant, fruited, and silky, with a vibrant juiciness that is immediately compelling. In the cup: plum, cherry, and chocolate.

THE PRODUCER

Hacienda La Papaya is one of the reference points of Ecuador's specialty coffee scene — regularly awarded in international competitions and sought after by roasters worldwide. Founded by Juan Peña in 2010 in the southern Andean highlands of Saraguro, the farm combines scientific rigour with a deep respect for terroir: drip irrigation, sensor-based soil monitoring, agronomist-managed cultivation, and a unique genetic bank preserving the most sought-after varietals — including this rare B7 selection.

Juan is widely recognised as a pioneer of specialty coffee in the Saraguro region. He has won three consecutive Sprudge Notable Producer awards, and Hacienda La Papaya's portfolio of exceptional varietals — Geisha, Sidra, Typica Mejorado, and now B7 — consistently demonstrates what careful cultivation and precision processing at altitude in Ecuador can achieve.

B7 is a rare and little-documented variety cultivated at Hacienda La Papaya — one of the most unusual selections in an already exceptional collection. Its precise genetic origins remain under research, but its cup character — juicy, fruited, and silky — speaks clearly to the extraordinary growing conditions of Saraguro and Juan's meticulous varietal management.

THE PROCESS

The Anaerobic Natural process at Hacienda La Papaya involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — B7 cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 💧 Flotation & sorting — Sorted by flotation and density to ensure consistency before fermentation 🔒 Anaerobic fermentation — Whole cherries sealed in an oxygen-free environment for a precisely controlled fermentation period, building aromatic complexity and depth ☀️ Natural drying — Cherries dried whole-fruit after fermentation, allowing the sugars and fruit character to integrate fully and evenly into the bean

The sealed anaerobic fermentation is the defining step — by fermenting the whole cherry in an oxygen-free environment before natural drying, Juan builds the vivid plum and cherry fruit depth and warm chocolate complexity that define this lot, while the natural drying locks in the silky texture and vibrant juiciness that make it so elegant and compelling in the cup.

THE CUP

An elegant, fruited, and silky anaerobic natural B7 from one of Ecuador's most celebrated and internationally awarded specialty farms — juicy plum and cherry sweetness and warm chocolate depth in a vibrant, refined cup that speaks of Juan Peña's extraordinary varietal collection and meticulous processing precision. A rare variety, treated with exceptional care.

Flavour Notes

🍑 Plum 🍒 Cherry 🍫 Chocolate