Sierra Mazateca

The Sierra Mazateca is an isolated mountain range in northern Oaxaca, home to the Mazatec people, whose identity remains deeply rooted in ancestral tradition. Coffee here grows between 1500 and 1800 masl, on small family farms of just 1-5 hectares, most shaded beneath a natural canopy of cloud cover that protects the crop through the season. Farmers grow a mix of Bourbon, Caturra and Typica, hand-picking only ripe cherries before pulping them the same day using depulpers. The coffee is fermented in tiled tanks for 12 to 24 hours, then washed and dried on patios for 15-20 days. Some producers in the region have begun experimenting with in-cherry fermentation before pulping, adding a further layer of complexity to the cup. In the cup, bright lemon peel along with the warm spice of speculoos biscuit, rounded out by a black tea lingering structure.