Ecuadorian coffees are firmly among our favourites. The combination of excellent growing conditions, exotic varieties, and small-scale producers focused on quality and innovation results in truly outstanding lots.

We've been purchasing from Alfonso Villagomez for several years and are huge fans of his coffees. The farm's location experiences particularly high humidity and rainfall, which has led to significant challenges recently. In 2022, an unusually intense and prolonged rainy season caused coffee cherries to become waterlogged and fall from the plants prematurely, resulting in a 90% loss of the harvest. This year's yield has improved but remains low—this lot is only 20kg in size! Despite the low yield, the quality is exceptionally high, and this could easily be a competition-grade coffee.

After harvesting, the ripe cherries are rinsed, sorted, and floated before being placed into sealed tanks for 48 hours or until the pH reaches the 3.5–3.6 range. Following this fermentation, the coffee is laid out in the Oreadors—slow drying chambers—for 21 to 28 days until it reaches an optimal humidity range of 9–11%. Finally, the coffee is shipped to Quito, where it stabilizes during storage until it's ready to be milled and prepared for export.

San Agustin Estate is located just a few hundred meters from the ruins of an ancient civilization that lived in Tulipe over 600 years ago.

The farm is owned by Alfonso Villagomez, a Q-grader and former environmental consultant who approaches coffee production with meticulous care. The hacienda has been in Alfonso's family for three generations but only began producing coffee in 2014 at Alfonso's initiative.

The farm cultivates Typica Mejorada, Sidra, Pacamara, and Ethiopian Heirloom varieties, which typically yield sweet and fruity flavour profiles.

San Agustin is unique in the area for offering naturally processed coffees, despite the region's high humidity and annual rainfall. Alfonso's innovative approach involves drying the cherries in solar and gas-powered chambers (Oreadors), where he can precisely control heat and humidity.

The farm's location experiences particularly high humidity and rainfall, which has led to significant challenges in recent years. In 2022, an unusually intense and prolonged rainy season caused coffee cherries to become waterlogged and fall from the plants before maturity. This resulted in a devastating 90% loss of the 2022 harvest at San Agustin, while neighbouring farms averaged a 50% loss.

In 2023, San Agustin implemented precautionary measures to mitigate potential losses should wet seasons continue to be as severe as in 2022. However, even with the best agronomic practices in place, the farm remains vulnerable if climate conditions continue to worsen.

In botanical terms, heirloom varieties are plants passed down through generations, often within families, known for their historical significance and cultural heritage. In Ethiopia, "heirloom" is often used as a catch-all term for any variety native to the country. Estimates suggest there are between 10,000 and 15,000 heirloom varieties in Ethiopia today, most of which have not been formally genetically identified.

While many heirloom varieties originate as wild plants, some have been selected for their desirable qualities and cultivated on coffee farms across the country.

The dry/natural process is the oldest and simplest method of preparing green coffee. Well-suited to environments with limited water access and hot climates, this process typically uses no water and requires no specialized equipment.

After harvesting, coffee cherries are dried until they reach about 20% moisture content. They're then usually rested for a few weeks in bags before being sent to a mill for hulling and export preparation.

The cherries can be dried on large patios or raised African beds—large trays with a mesh base that allow increased airflow for even drying. Best practices include keeping the drying coffee in shade during the hottest parts of the day and avoiding re-wetting by rain or condensation. Regular turning and good ventilation are also crucial to prevent mould formation.

To avoid defective seeds and sour fermentation off-flavours, it's best to sort the harvested cherries during the initial drying stage when under-ripe, over-ripe, and damaged cherries are easily spotted. After just a couple of days, the cherries turn a dark red-brown colour before becoming black, making it impossible to visually identify problem cherries.

Coffee begins fermenting from the moment it's picked and continues while there's enough moisture and high temperatures—conditions that favour microbial growth. This uncontrolled fermentation leads to the development of wild, fruity flavours and an increased perception of sweetness and body.