"Upon grounding, the dry aroma features the notes of jasmine, Cherries and earl grey tea. at First sip flavor of cherries, and muscat grapes. accompanied by taste of earl grey tea with mild aroma of jasmine and honey. The flavor profile is juicy and sweet."

La Marquesa is located in the San Pedro de Vilcabamba Valley in the Loja region of southern Ecuador. This valley is renowned for its volcanic soil, rich in minerals such as iron and magnesium, and its unique microclimate influenced by the neighboring Podocarpus National Reserve Park. Ximena Toledo farm, Finca La Marquesa, has been planting traditional Typica varieties for more than 70 years. Six years ago, the family decided to introduce new varieties, including Sidra and Geisha, to better reflect the farm's excellent genes in the cup and to meet international demand.

Over the past two years, the quality of Finca La Marquesa's coffee has improved significantly due to better varieties, enhanced organization, meticulous work planning, and advanced fertilization plans, particularly organic fertilizers. Ximena’s husband, Hubert, is an expert in coffee processing and shelling and serves as a judge for the Ecuadorian COE Cup of Excellence. This year, their dedication paid off when they secured 17th place in the National Winners Category of the COE Cup of Excellence with a batch of their washed coffee.

Albertina Toledo, Ximena’s mother, is 82 years old and has dedicated her life to taking care of the farm her whole life, weighing the daily harvest of coffee cherries, paying wages, and preparing meals for all the workers. She processes the coffee beans alongside Ximena, meticulously selecting the ripe beans and controlling the fermentation process. Albertina also guides the women in the final hand selection of the green coffee beans after they pass through the electronic color sorter. Though she can no longer work, she lives a peaceful life watching her coffee plantation grow, a life she loves dearly.

Ximena inherited her passion for coffee from her mother. As a second-generation coffee producer, she focuses on creating a more organized estate, prioritizing quality over quantity. She and Hubert have planted a variety of new coffee types, continually striving to improve their offerings to meet international demand.

For this lot, Sidra cherries are harvested at their peak ripeness. The whole red coffee cherries are soaked in a flowing water pool, and low-density cherries are removed by flotation and washed. The selected coffee cherries are then hand-picked to ensure they are at the best maturity point. Next, the qualified cherries undergo the first fermentation process in an open oxygen tank for up to 24 hours, allowing all the sugars to ferment thoroughly. After peeling the fruit, the beans are dry fermented with pectin for another 24 hours, enabling the sugars to be fully absorbed by the coffee beans. Following fermentation, the beans are thoroughly cleaned of pectin and placed in a sun shed to dry for about 20 days until completely dry.

Variety : Sidra
Altitude : 1820 masl
Process : Anaerobic Washed
Origin : Vilcabamba, Loja