PEPE JIJON, ECUADOR, WASHED

Working with Pepe Jijón has been one of the highlights of this year’s sourcing. His farm, Finca Soledad, is tucked away in Ecuador’s Intag Valley, where he focuses on biodiversity, soil health and meticulous processing. Beyond producing some of the most elegant coffees we’ve tasted this year, Pepe is simply a joy to work with. Thoughtful, generous and deeply committed to his craft.

This lot was produced using Pepe Jijón’s Wave Washed process, a fermentation approach built around controlled temperature shifts to enhance clarity, texture and varietal expression rather than heavy fermentation character. After harvesting, the cherries are carefully sorted and fermented in whole cherry before being depulped and moved through further controlled fermentation stages. Throughout the process, shifts between warmer and colder environments help guide microbial activity in carefully managed “waves”.

Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is washed and dried slowly under controlled conditions. The result is a washed coffee with precision, floral aromatics, layered sweetness and vibrant acidity, while the structure stays clean, elegant and transparent in the cup.