It tastes of plum and ripe yellow fruit, with notes of red berries and a clean floral touch. This is a coffee where sweetness appears early and remains present throughout the cup, without becoming heavy.
The acidity is soft and refreshing, bringing balance and making it very pleasant and easy to drink. It finishes with a juicy sensation that invites another sip—a clear, approachable profile that’s very easy to enjoy.
HISTORY
This coffee comes from the mountains of Aldama, Chiapas, a high-altitude region predominantly inhabited by Tsotsil communities, where coffee is not just a crop but a way of sustaining life, identity, and the relationship with the land. In this region, coffee is grown under shade, integrated into a landscape of forest, milpa, and family gardens, on small plots that rarely exceed two hectares.
Production is carried out by more than 150 smallholder farmers, whose farms lie between 1,300 and 1,800 meters above sea level. The climatic conditions—mild temperatures, high humidity, frequent mist, and a long rainy season—encourage slow cherry maturation, adding complexity and sweetness to the coffee, while also demanding very careful post-harvest work.
This is where the San Pedro Community Mill comes into play, founded in 2018 in the community of San Pedro Cotzilnam. Rather than operating as an isolated facility, the mill functions as a collective space where traditional knowledge and modern techniques come together. Under the direction of Inez Vázquez, who was born and raised in the community, the mill has become a key hub for ensuring quality, traceability, and consistency across the region’s coffees.
During harvest, the mill becomes a true community center: deliveries are coordinated, local jobs are created, and collective decisions are made regarding processes, timelines, and goals. This model allows coffees produced by many different families to share a common identity without losing their sense of origin. The result is a coffee that speaks of territory, shared care, and an understanding of quality as something deeply collective.
VARIETAL AND PROCESS
This lot is composed of a blend of Typica, Bourbon, and Caturra, traditional varieties that have been cultivated in the region for decades and are well adapted to the altitude, shade, and humidity conditions of Aldama. These varieties are known for their natural balance, moderate sweetness, and their ability to express smooth, approachable profiles when handled with precision.
The chosen process is honey, a technique that sits between washed and natural processing and allows part of the mucilage to remain attached to the bean during drying. After hand-harvesting, the cherries are carefully depulped at the San Pedro Community Mill. Before defining the process, each lot undergoes flotation and cherry-quality assessments, ensuring that only coffee in optimal condition moves forward.
During drying, control is key. The amount of retained mucilage and the drying speed are carefully adjusted to prevent unwanted fermentation—especially important in a humid environment like Aldama. The coordinated work of the mill team results in a clean coffee with a smooth texture and elevated sweetness, without losing clarity in the cup.
This approach produces a balanced and friendly profile, where ripe fruit, floral notes, and a rounded body reflect both the processing choice and the collective care behind each lot.
RECIPE
We used 18 grams of ground coffee and 306 grams of water at 93°C. We made three pours. The first was 54 grams, we waited 45 seconds, and then made two more pours of 126 grams each, for a total time of 2'22".
