Puyango is a canton in south Ecuador, and the community of passionate coffee farmers who contributed to this lot live in the mountains surrounding the Lagunas de Saraguallas, which feed into the Puyango river. Farmers are second and third generation and work collaboratively on plots of around 15 hectares, typically 2 of which are dedicated to growing coffee, alongside natural reserves and crops such as corn, oranges and plantain.
Coffee is harvested by hand, and processed on the farms at wet mills. Post sorting, coffee is fermented for between 24 and 72 hours and then washed twice before being dried for up to 18 days on parabolic covered patios and raised beds. Parchment is transferred to the purchasing station to undergo quality and sensory evaluation. This station is run by Carvela, a coffee export company who pride themselves on nurturing longstanding and equitable relationships in Latin America.
Seasonal buying is about seeing coffee as a crop not a commodity, buying in harmony with the growing seasons to enjoy coffee at its best. This kind of buying has always been the backbone of our business and it’s something we’ve improved and refined every year.
