Ecuador Maputo 2 [Filter] 250g
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Ecuador Maputo 2 [Filter] 250g
| Origin: | Ecuador, Pichincha |
| Region: | La Perla, Nanegal |
| Farm: | Finca Maputo |
| Producer: | Verena Blaser & Henry Gaibor |
| Altitude: | 1300 masl |
| Variety: | Typica |
| Process: | Honey |
| Flavor profile: | Mirabelle, lemon, honey |
| Roasted for: | Filter |
«Maputo» has nothing to do with Ecuador – it is the capital of Mozambique, where Henry, who runs the farm along with his wife Verena, had lived for several years. For that reason, the couple had decided to name their farm after that city. Maputo 2 is the second coffee we have bought from Verena and Henry. This time, we had to make a tough pick between more than 10 different lots from their farm that varied in taste due to their different varieties and processes. We were really taken by their honey-processed coffees and since a coffee of this flavor profile has not been in our offering in a while, we decided to go for it.
Even though the altitude of 1300 masl does not seem very high, the region of La Perla in the Pichincha province offers a special microclimate that leads to higher humidity and cool temperatures at night. This helps the region's coffee to reach its outstanding quality.
Henry and Verena see their business as a social enterprise. Finca Maputo generates a lot of jobs in the area, especially for women, who often lack access to paid work in this rural area, where work is scarce. During harvest, only the ripe cherries are picked. Therefore, during the early stages of the harvest, pickers often don't reach a the daily goal. Verena and Henry decided to still pay for a full load. During the main harvest time, when more ripe cherries can be picked, the workers received an extra for each additional pound they harvest and can thus often increase their daily salary by up to 50%. Three families get the chance to live in houses on the farm's premises without paying any rent.
The honey process is a hybrid between the two most common coffee processing methods (natural and washed). The pulp of the fruit is removed after harvest but a large part of the last beneath, the mucilage, remains with the coffee bean during the drying process, which often leads to honey-like and sweet flavors.
Maputo 2 reminds us of stone and citrus fruit such as mirabelle plum, apricot, lemon or – in combination with its sweetness – of a honey-sweetened lemonade. The coffee is very elegant, round, clean and has a lot of balance.
