Crema Trekkers Single Origin Coffee: Mexico Kassandra Estate

3 Apr 2019

Mexico Kassandra Estate – the Final Single Origin Coffee of the Crema Trekkers Americas Subscription

The final coffee for our Americas Trek 2019 single origin coffee subscription is sourced from Mexico in the Cordoba, Veracruz region, produced by Rivas family. Kassandra Estate, also known as Finca Kassandra, was originally a cattle station and transformed into a coffee plantation in 1990.

REGION: Cordoba, Veracruz

PRODUCER: Rivas Family, Kassandra Estate

ALTITUDE: 1,200-1,500m asl

VARIETAL: Caturra, Catuaí, Bourbon

PROCESS: ‘Special’ Process, Fully Washed, Sundried

Mexico Coffee Growing Region Coffee Cherries Mexico Finca Kassandra Mexico

The Mexico Kassandra Estate Single Origin Roasted Coffee is Perfect for Espresso, Plunger & Cold Brew!

The Mexico Kassandra Estate single origin coffee is a high-quality roasted coffee grown by the Rivas family and is perfect for espresso, French press and cold brew coffee.

Tasting Notes: Well-balanced coffee with a medium body, raisin sweetness and hints of plum and dark chocolate.

Aroma: Sweet spices and cocoa

Flavour Strength: 8/10

Sweetness: 7/10

Body: 6/10 (Medium)

Grab a bag of Mexico Kassandra Estate coffee today!

The Caturra, Catuaí & Bourbon Varietals & the Fully Washed Green Bean Processing

Caturra is a pure-line dwarf mutant of red Bourbon that has short internodes. It was found in 1937 in Brazil and is highly productive. Its leaf and fruit characteristics are similar to Bourbon varieties and can produce red or yellow cherries. Like Bourbon, it is known to be susceptible to all main diseases and pests.

Catuaí derives from the Guarani multo mom, meaning “very good" and is considered to have moderately good cup quality. This varietal produces both yellow-fruited and red-fruited types, and have since been many selections in different countries. The cultivar was created in 1949 by Institution Agronomico (IAC) of Sao Paulo State in Campinas, Brazil, from a crossing of yellow Caturra and Mundo Novo (initially called H-2077).

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.

The washed process relies on every stage of the growing, harvest and fermentation process being right, as the flavour is totally reliant on the bean having absorbed enough nutrients and sugars while growing. The process begins by de-pulping the coffee cherries and leaving the mucilage intact for fermentation. The fermentation process can take anywhere between 1-4 days, giving the bacteria present in the fermentation tank time to break down the mucilage, which is then ‘washed’ off at the end of the fermentation period. The fully washed process includes soaking the beans a second time and washing them again. Once the mucilage has been removed the coffee is carefully sun-dried.

Coffee Plant Nursery Finca Kassandra Staff Mexico Coffee Cherry Processing

Kassandra Estate, Mexico

Finca Kassandra was established in 1990 as a coffee with the intention of producing estate quality coffee or specialty coffee. The estate has an ideal climate, with an annual average temperature of 22ºC and good rainfall of 1400 ‒ 2000mm, allowing them to expand quickly over the first decade. By 2003, the size of Finca Kassandra made it necessary to build their own dry mill and since then they have been processing all their coffee on site.

The Rivas family, who own and operate Finca Kassandra, meticulously produce high-quality specialty coffee, from carefully hand-picking coffee cherries and specialised grading equipment to their parchment storage areas. The flavours and quality of Kassandra Estate Coffee reflects the hard work of the Rivas family and their team. The estate is a serious contender in the coffee industry, winning two prestigious wins in the 2017 Mexican Cup of Excellence, placing second overall, and received the President’s award for a 90.57 point Pacamara specialty coffee.

Today the Rivas family have a total of 27 hectares of rainforest for local birds and wildlife to flourish on their estate. A huge tree planting programme has been underway across the plantation that will help not just the coffee but the birdlife as well.

Mexico Landscape Coffee Plantations Mexico