If we look back on how we began sourcing coffee in Ecuador, Juan Peña’s washed Typica from Hacienda La Papaya (this coffee) is where it all began, when we cupped his coffee early in 2018 while we were looking for a coffee to serve in the United States Barista Championship. Since then, we’ve been fortunate to work with Juan’s coffees through his exporting operation Cafexporto, as well as coffees of neighboring producers in the area that Juan is helping process and export. Juan, who has a background in agronomy, leads his team in refining every step of coffee production, from soil nutrition to plant health to coffee processing. Each year, we see Juan and the La Papaya team experimenting and improving their processes, leading to exciting coffees like those we’ve offered from Segundo Cartuche, as well as progressing the flavors of a mainstay coffee like Juan’s washed Typica, which is a variety that makes up a majority of what is planted on the farm. Even with the anaerobic and carbonic maceration processing methods that Hacienda La Papaya is producing, Juan’s washed Typica will have a special place in our hearts. With this coffee, the cherries are picked, sorted, and washed with water from the natural spring that feeds the surrounding area, and processed on raised beds to precise moisture levels for exporting and roasting. We find familiar flavors from this coffee year after year, with this year’s harvest reminding us of a dense caramel or brown sugar sweetness in the cup, along with juicy strawberry, and a floral quality reminding us of the aromatic white blossoms of the coffee fruit itself.