Apple, Red Grape, Apricot, Bergamot, Cola
Complex, Tart, Very Sweet
Fausto owns his 15 acre farm Finca Carolina, keeping about half of the farm planted in coffee. He grows two different varietals, Gesha and Sidra. We are receiving this coffee through our partners at Cafe Imports, and during some of their farm visits, Fausto has commented that he feels like these two particular varietals are vital to his success, stating that he feels they were meant to live in Ecuador. With his Sidra selection, we were most impressed with the complexity of the cup. Sidra is believed to have been a product of crossing Ethiopian heirloom varietals with other bourbon varietals by Nestle in Ecuador and the results have lead to common flavors such as apple, stone fruit, citrus, white-wine, honey, and malt with a complex and viscous mouthfeel. This offering hits all those marks and then some, adding an interesting tamarind note and a boost in acidity not typically found in our experience with Sidra.
Initially Fausto was a dairy farmer. He had 11 Holstein cows from Colombia, and they would producing about 75 gallons of per month. His uncle, Olmedo Romo, grew coffee and encouraged Fausto to plant one acre in coffee, specifying that Sidra was a good variety. Fausto took his advice and planted 3 hectares in coffee. Due to coffee's slow growth and the delay until you can harvest, Fausto was forced to sell half of his cows over the first 2 years while he waited for harvest yields to grow high enough. After those first two years, his financial troubles faded away because of his coffee sales.
Prior to growing his own coffee, Fausto didn't even drink it! Now he loves it, has it every day, and says he loves the aroma of the flower coffee trees planted on his farm, noting that you can smell their sweet aroma even from a considerable distance and watch the bees as they buzz around.
COUNTRY: Ecuador
REGION: Quito, Pichincha
ELEVATION: 4500 ft
PRODUCER: Fausto Romo
PROCESS: Washed
VARIETAL: Sidra
This coffee is best 10-15 days after it was roasted.
