Producer Olinka Vélez and Yambamine by Diana
Process Lixiviado
Region Sozoronga, Loja, Ecuador
Variety Sidra
Altitude 1350 – 1600 masl
The varietal Sidra was created in Ecuadorian soils, this is a hybrid between a Red Bourbon and Typica.
It has gained much popularity between producers and roasters because of its unique sweetness, notes of berries and complexity. This lot was harvested by hand between May and June 2021.
The first stage of this complex process was to ferment the whole cherry in tanks for 5 days.
Then, the coffee is pulped and taken back to the fermentation tanks, only this time with the ‘Lixiviated’ juices that came out during the initial fermentation. The coffee remains here for 5 more days until the bean absorbs about 90% of these lixiviated juices. After this, the coffee goes inside ‘marquesinas’ or polytunnels where the coffee will dry slowly for approximately 25 days. During this drying period, the coffee is constantly turned so a homogenous drying occurs in all beans. The desired humidity level at the end of the process is 12%.
Finally, a very important time of stabilisation occurs, this happens inside GrainPro bags in a temperature and moisture controlled room. The coffee laid here between 4 to 5 months. A curious note on this process is that two months after the coffee has dried, the flavours are not pronounced.
It is only after 4 months that the coffee starts coming to life and all the flavours emerge.
