LFG - I am soooooo excited to finally be releasing this gem from the homies of The Coffee Quest. I’ve been sitting on this coffee for a few months waiting for the right time and you know what…. there’s no time like the present so let’s check out our first release of the highly popular Typica Mejorado variety grown by Juan Pablo Malacatos!

Juan Pablo is a 23 year old producer who manages his farm Finca Nueva Esperanza which sits at 1700 meters and is located in the canton of Palanda, in the Zamora Chinchipe province of Ecuador. Nueava Esperanza is 2 hectares (just under 5 acres) in size and has around 7,000 Typica Mejorado trees in production. Typica Mejorado has taken the specialty world by storm the last few years with it’s incredible cup quality and qualities… Super refined citrus and florals, tea-like body, and clarity and complexity for days. It’s in that broader realm of cup profiles akin to washed Ethiopia heirlooms, Colombia Pink Bourbons and Chiroso. Fun fact, recent genetic testing by World Coffee Research demonstrated that Typica Mejorado is a hybrid of Bourbon and Ethiopia Heirloom/Landrace and oddly not a descendant of the Typica lineage, even though it’s taken the name of ‘Typica Mejorado’. I’m so so so so so excited about this coffee and it was a instant, no doubter when cupping out samples from The Coffee Quest. *** Slurps, nods, says ‘oh shit’, looks around in disbelief, buys. ***

This Typica Mejorado lot begins when the cherries arrive to the wet mill.  They are floated to remove over/under-ripes and washed with clean water. After rinsing, the coffee is de-pulped and left to ferment in tanks for 70 hours. The coffee is then dried in a greenhouse structure for between 12-15 days, depending on the weather.

Juan Pablo grew up on this farm and has lived there his entire life. The farm is actually his parents’, but they gave him 2 Ha to work with and right off the bat, he decided to focus on specialty, starting with this exceptional variety. He planted these trees 4-5 years ago and this was his second real harvest which is soo exciting given the incredible quality of this lot.  Since his farm is only 2 Ha in size, Juan Pablo doesn’t need to hire any full-time employees. However, during the harvest, they do what is called a “minga” in Spanish, which means families from different farms rotate working on each other’s farms. The work is mostly related to picking, but could involve other harvest tasks. In addition to coffee, Juan Pablo also grows plantains, bananas, citrus and other fruits. 

In the cup, you’re first greeted with super complex and potent floral and berry aromatics. Delicate notes of jasmine and orange blossom are present and sit atop the cup profile from hot to cold while a medley of sweet citrus a la yuzu and clementine balance it out. In the finish I find a white tea note and a lasting honey-like sweetness. Juan Pablo’s mejorado is truly incredible and one of the most exciting releases for Enjoy thus far in ‘24. I feel like this is a coffee you gotta try… a banger of bangers ✌️🌸🍊