Mexico Las Cotorras Washed

Over the last 6 months we’ve been really proud of our decaf coffee, from the Las Cotorras community group in Chiapas, so when the opportunity arose to purchase some of their regular lots we grabbed samples and were amazed with the quality.

This coffee creates a perfect classic espresso, with layers of chocolate, caramel sweetness and gentle red-fruit notes.

Origin & Producers

 

When we decided to start a small roastery, we knew that our smaller scale and our quality/provenance expectations would require working in partnership with exporters and mills who share our values, and have more expertise and dedicated resource within parts of the value chain where scale and locality really matter. This decaf coffee is a great example of that. Working with Caravela, whose long-term relationship work has been incredibly impactful within the regions they operate, we've been able to source this Mexican coffee from the Las Cotorras group.

Smallholders, typically farming in family owned plots of less than 10 hectares, make up the backbone (around 70%) of Mexicos coffee production. Whilst various areas have large farms and mills, small-holders reliance on traditional shade-grown methods, and the positive benefits to rural and indigenous  communities mean that our purchases supporting these producers, and the market access Caravela have enabled, are more impactful by social, environmental and economic measures.

Caravela Coffee's PECA program (Grower Education Program) provides training and technical assistance to farmers to improve  quality, productivity, and profitability, ultimately fostering sustainable and prosperous coffee communities. Through the program, PECA analysts offer farm-level support, data collection, and educational resources to help farmers manage their businesses, improve farm practices, and ensure the long-term viability of their operations and the coffee supply chain.

The farmers who contribute to Las Cotorras have learned about coffee through generations. Some of today's smaller farms were established on land redistributed after foreign landowners left the state — formerly large estates that had been dedicated to coffee production from the start. Over the generations, coffee farming has become part of the local culture, although access to information and resources has historically been limited. In recent years, producers have improved their processing techniques and facilities and adopted new coffee varieties, leading to enhanced quality and better prices.

The producers receive personalised visits from Caravela's PECA Educators and attend workshops to produce organic fertilizers using organic waste from the farm, helping them become more conscious of their environmental impact. To date, 300 organic farmers contribute to the Las Cotorras community group. This rapid growth led Caravela to open a warehouse in 2022, equipped with a cupping lab, an on-the-ground PECA technician, and a Quality Control Analyst, providing training and orientation to producers year-round.

The coffee is grown in the highlands of Chiapas, home to the Triunfo Biosphere Reserve. As you journey through the remote highlands here, you can see an incredibly beautiful species of bird called Cotorras. Although they  can be seen in many parts of the world, the Cotorra is endemic to Mexico, and many can be found in the jungles of Chiapas. In the region, these birds are not just known for preferring a "coffeelands" habitat for nesting, but also for being a symbol of authenticity and freedom.

In this area, you can witness the juxtaposition of southern and northern species, which are attracted to the area's natural richness. The Triunfo Biosphere is a protected area of close to 120 thousand hectares. It represents the very last of the Central American cloud forests, where naturally occurring condensation is trapped by the forest, giving life to a large number of plant and animal species.

 

 

Variety & Processing

 

This lot is made up of submissions from 7 of the groups producers, and cherries that were predominantly wet or ‘washed’ processed. Following picking of ripe cherries. At the micro wet mills on the farms, the cherries are floated to clean the coffee from foreign materials, such as leaves, and defective ones are removed. Afterward, the cherries are pulped without water for fermentation; producers use traditional open-air tanks. 

The hours of fermentation vary according to the climatic conditions and elevations of each farm, ranging from 20 to 24 hours, all done without any water. Following fermentation, the beans are washed 2 to 3 times, and then taken to the drying beds, where they remain for 15 to 20 days, depending on the climate, to reach the ideal humidity level of between 10% and 11%.

The varietal mix, and the higher growing conditions than much of Mexico, with support a higher level of sweetness through extended maturation times. You’ll find the depth and body of the Bourbon and Typica, along with red fruit and rich nutty tones, and a long chocolate finish. This is a perfect single origin coffee for espresso and milk drinks, and will make a rich everyday filter.