THE ECUADR VITALIANO TILLAGUANGO SINGLE ORIGIN COFFEE FILLS THE PALETTE WITH SWEET SPICES, DRIED FRUITS & CITRUS ACIDITY

 

THE COFFEE BEANS

Coffee beans grown in Ecuador’s Zamora Chinchipe region include arabica varietals like Typica, Bourbon and Caturra. The beans are grown at altitudes of 1200m above sea level and is processed using a natural dry process.

Typica is the main coffee varietal that other Arabica cultivars have been developed from.  The coffee tree reaches 3-4m in height, with one main vertical trunk and secondary branches that are vertical and grow on a slight slant. Typica coffee has a very low production, but has an excellent cup quality.

Bourbon is a parent to a variety of Arabica varieties, named after Bourbon Island (now known as Reunion Island) where it is derived from. It’s a short tree with many secondary branches and on average produces 25% more coffee than the Typica variety. The Bourbon variety is renowned for its exceptional sweet/acid balance.

Caturra is a mutation of the Bourbon varietal that is short with a thick core, and plenty of secondary branches. It grows well in high altitudes. The higher altitudes produce better quality, but production rate lowers.

There is a shortage of coffee in the Ecuador region due to a lack of processing mills, which makes it a special occasion when we are able to get in green beans for roasting!

Tasting Notes:  This rare single origin features a medium body and citrus acidity that kick this coffee off with orange zest, sweet spices and dried fruits filling the palette – with hints of cocoa and a sweet clean finish.

 

LOCATION

This particular single origin is grown in the Zamora-Chinchipe region, which located near the Southern border of Ecuador, near Peru. The elevations are lower throughout this region, but it still grows plenty of high-grade arabica beans. The region includes territory in the famous Andes Mountain Ranges and it is part of the micro-region Palanda, named after the main village in the area. The region grows arabica varietals at a range of 800-1,800m above sea level and includes mostly small family-run farms, a number of which are certified organic farms!

 

THE FARM

Due to the nature of the coffee industry in the agricultural regions of Ecuador, information is hard to come by about the individual farms. Many of the farms are part of coffee cooperatives or a small family-run businesses, growing smaller cash crops using traditional methods.

 

BEAN PROCESSING

The natural dry method of processing coffee beans is simpler than other methods and suitable in regions with lower levels of rainfall and long periods of sunshine, however, Ecuador uses this method because there is a shortage of processing mill in coffee growing region. Because of this shortage only around 15% of coffee is processed using washed methods, and the majority is processed using the natural dry process method.

Naturally processed coffees tend to have a heavier mouth feel, lower acidity levels and intense flavour profiles. This is generally attributed to the fact that the whole cherries are dried with the beans inside, with all layers intact, raked and turned throughout the drying process to make sure the cherries dry out evenly. Depending on weather conditions, it could be 4 weeks before the cherries have dried to the maximum moisture content of 12.5%. Once the cherries are dried out, the beans are left to rest in the cherry before being hulled and prepped for shipping.

The process of drying is a crucial to the final quality of the coffee bean, as it effects how heavy the body will be and flavour profiles.

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