Jose Chavez, Filter - Ecuador

Finca Maputo was named after the city where Verena and Henry met for the first time when they were working for Doctors without Borders in Mozambique. After many years of work in West Africa, the couple moved to Ecuador, Henry's home country, where they opened a clinic just north of Quito. It was soon after moving back to Ecuador that Verena and Henry started taking interest in growing coffee, and after the clinic was well established in 2011 they began with their coffee venture.

Maputo is now one of the best exponents of specialty coffee in the country. Verena and Henry have inspired many people to begin producing coffee, their methodical approach to farming has earned them recognition in the national and international market having won many prices in Taza Dorada and Cup of Excellence.

The farm is located on the western foothills of the Andes and is surrounded by protected cloud forests. The climate is very humid and rainfall is very high, making it a challenge when the drying process takes place or when producing Honeys. This is why Maputo uses a mechanic heat dryer to make sure the right humidity is reached before stabilisation.

This expertly produced coffee is a wonderful opportunity to capture the essence of the sidra cultivar in your cup. It has a unique rich character, with warm, buttery notes, yellow floral notes and, depending on the processing method, bright citrus notes or more intense stone fruit aromas. This small lot has been produced with expert precision and simplicity.

A traditional washed process with a 12-hour fermentation in cherries, pulped, washed and dried on African beds inside plastic tunnels.

The result in the cup is a wonderful blend of yellow flower and clementine aromas, with a rich, smooth texture and a ripe and full acidity.

• Region: Pichincha
• Country: Ecuador
• Elevation: 1,400 - 1,600 masl
• Variety: Sidra
• Process: Dried in clean parchment