In Oaxaca, coffee is best understood through its altitudes. From the city to the mountains, and from the mountains to the sea, every step of the landscape leaves something in the cup. This is what makes the coffees we look for in our Selection different.
Altitude: beans that ripen slowly
In the mountains the climate is cooler and the coffee cherry takes longer to ripen. That extra time gives the bean more density and flavor. A CATIE study of coffee farms in Central America found that altitude is the factor with the greatest influence on quality: bean size and weight, as well as aroma, body, acidity and flavor.
Forest shade
Coffee from the cooperatives of Oaxaca and Chiapas usually grows under trees, not in full sun. The same study found that shade produces larger, heavier beans with fewer defects, and that shade together with good soil nutrition helps even lower-altitude farms. The forest also protects water and soil and shelters birds and butterflies.
Pacific mist
In Oaxaca's Sierra Sur, in the Pluma Hidalgo region, coffee is grown at around 1,200 meters (about 3,900 ft), in cloud forest, on slopes that face the sea. Humid air from the Pacific rises up the mountains and turns into mist and rain. Local growers say that breeze and that climate are part of the smooth, fruity flavor of their coffee.
The hands that grow it
Behind every cup are farming and Indigenous families who work small plots and organize into cooperatives to process and sell together. That's why we present each coffee with its own brand, its region and its story.
How we choose each coffee
- Clear origin: we know the region, community and organization it comes from.
- Altitude and shade: we favor mountain coffees grown under forest shade.
- Cupping: every coffee is cupped before joining the Selection.
- Certified and fresh: if it says organic, it has a current certificate; every bag shows its lot and roast date.
Our Selection is coming soon to Amazon Mexico.
Sources: CATIE, effect of altitude, shade and fertilization on coffee quality · México Desconocido, Pluma coffee from Oaxaca