ICON 68 - Finca Maputo, Hakuna Matata Sidra Honey

Finca Maputo was named after the city where owners Verena Blasser and Henry Gaibor first met ,while 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.

After settling in Ecuador, Verena and Henry developed an interest in growing coffee. Once their clinic was well established in 2011, they began their coffee venture. Maputo is now one of Ecuador's finest specialty coffee producers. Verena and Henry's methodical approach to farming has earned them recognition in both national and international markets, with multiple awards from Taza Dorada and Cup of Excellence. They have inspired many others to begin producing coffee.

The farm is located in the western foothills of the Andes, two hours northwest of Quito. It sits between 1,300 and 1,500 meters above sea level and is surrounded by protected cloud forests. The climate is very humid with high rainfall, which creates challenges for drying coffee and producing honey-processed coffees. To address this, Maputo uses a mechanical heat dryer to ensure proper humidity levels before stabilisation.

Maputo spans about 17 hectares, divided into three main plots: Maputo 1, which surrounds Verena and Henry's house and contains the washing, pulping, and drying stations; Hakuna Matata, which was acquired more recently; and Rancho Tio Emilio, which is owned by Henry's brother but managed by Verena and Henry.

The processing for this lot was handled by Jose Luis Bravo Chavez, who employs a meticulous protocol. Initial floatation sorting of the cherries is carried out as soon as they arrive at the farm’s wet mill. The cherries are then placed in tanks to ferment for 24 hours before being pulped, leaving the mucilage attached to the parchment. The sticky coffee is then laid on African beds inside polytunnels, where it is regularly moved to ensure even drying until the humidity reaches 18%. Because ambient humidity is usually very high, making it difficult to reach the target level needed for stabilisation, the coffee finishes drying to 11% in a mechanical drying chamber. Before export, the parchment coffee is placed in GrainPro bags and stored for six to eight weeks allowing the moisture content to homogenise and improve stability.

Bourbon Sidra is an Arabica variety believed to have originated as an "unreleased" variety, developed by a coffee breeding facility in Pichincha with links to Nestlé. This research station created hybrids using Ethiopian and Bourbon varieties to improve pest and disease resistance while developing new flavour profiles. Initially thought to be a cross between Typica and Bourbon lines, genetic testing has revealed various parental combinations. It's likely that Bourbon Sidra refers to several different varieties that growers call by the same name, a common occurrence in the industry due to informal seed distribution.

The origins of the name “Sidra” are unclear. Some believe it stems from the variety's ability to grow well under citrus trees, while others think it's named after cider due to its fruity and winey profile. Regardless of its lineage, this variety is highly prized for its excellent quality potential and relatively high yields.

The pulped natural, honey or semi-washed process falls between washed and natural methods in terms of fruit left on the seed during drying. After harvesting, the cherries are pulped to remove the skin, then dried with the sticky fruit mucilage remaining—hence the name "honey." The coffee is sometimes classified by the colour it turns during drying, which depends on how much fruit remains and how it's arranged and turned. Colours range from black honey (darkest) through red, yellow, and sometimes white. More fruit on the seed provides more fuel for fermentation, which can unpredictably affect the flavour profile. However, it usually yields more intense fruit flavours than washed coffee and higher perceived acidity than natural processing.