Red de San Miguel Eloxochitlán Washed

Delightfully sweet and round-bodied. Aromas of cherry, candied almond, and fudge invite your first sip. We noted flavors of dried cherry, caramel, and pecan. A soft, orange zest-like acidity is balanced by a graham cracker sweetness, all culminating in a finish of chocolate pudding and pineapple.

Details

Producer: Red de San Miguel Eloxochitlán Farm: 18 Smallholders Region: Sierra Negra, Puebla Altitude: 1,650-2,000 masl | 5,413-6,562 feet Varietal: Marsellesa, Obata, Gesha Process: Washed Roast: Light Notes: Caramel, Cherry, Graham Cracker

The Story

Imported by our friends at Crop to Cup—read their full Mexico 2023 Harvest Update on their blog!

"In 2017, a small group of young coffee producers in the Nahuatl community came together to improve the lives of their families and community. Instead of traveling to the border to work in agriculture–often being underpaid–they decided to work together to improve the coffee plantations they had recently inherited. Pooling their resources, they were able to renovate the plantations with new plantings of rust-resistant Costa Rica 95.

"In 2020, the group utilized the Rural Development Secretariat's equipment program to acquire mowers, coffee de-pulpers, and drying tunnels. They also trained in coffee processing in the field school. By 2022, their coffees had scored in the Top 30 of the Puebla of Pride coffee competition.

"By 2023, six of their coffees placed in the Top 10, with the highest scoring 90.25 points. In just a few short years, this group's hard work has taken them from being underpaid migrant field workers to esteemed specialty coffee producers."

Smallholder Spotlights

Fermin Temoxtle Rodriguez began growing coffee at age 34 as a way to create opportunity and greater income for himself and his family. Before coffee, Fermin—born to indigenous parents in San Miguel Eloxochitlán, one of the twelve poorest municipalities in Mexico—worked in the asparagus fields of Baja California as a migrant worker, leaving home for 3-5 months each year during the harvest.

The work was grueling; most of his days were spent crouching in the fields while temperatures routinely exceeded 110ºF. Some years he wasn’t able to make much—but what he did earn, he saved.

Opportunity presented itself when a group of friends told him about a coffee plantation renovation project in Puebla. Fermin joined 17 other people between the ages of 20 and 40 in replanting the farm with Costa Rica 95, a cultivar they were told was resistant to coffee leaf rust and would adapt to the area. In 2017, on his then- 1 hectare plot on the farm, at 1,650 meters above sea level, he planted 3,300 trees. In 2018, he planted an additional quarter hectare with 1,100 Obatã trees—making him the only producer locally with the cultivar. Each day during the harvest, Fermin leaves home at 6AM to walk an hour to his plot and returns at 9PM, overseeing 5 men and 5 women that he employs to collect and process cherry—generating additional jobs and income for indigenous families in his community.

In 2021, he trained in anaerobic fermentation and processing practices taught by the Secretary of Rural Development and subsequently used honey processing for coffees he submitted to the Pride of Puebla competition that year. He continued training to improve his coffee fermentation, nutrition and storage techniques. In 2023, Fermin again participated in the Pride of Puebla competition, submitting a 72-hour anaerobic dry processed coffee which earned a score of 90.25 and placement as the best coffee in the state of Puebla.

The daughter of parents of Nahuatl indigenous origin from Macuiltepec in San Miguel Eloxochitlán, Mercedes Galvez Andrés established a 1/4 hectare coffee plot with Anacafe 14 plants at the age of 27. Leaving behind her job as a teacher in an indigenous school, Mercedes and her husband joined the group of 17 Nahuatl people from her community in renovating a coffee plantation. A year later, she added 1,200 Obatã plants to he

Sourced from the Sierra Negra region of Puebla, the Red de San Miguel Eloxochitlán Washed represents a focused expression of the Marsellesa varietal. Cultivated by the Red de San Miguel Eloxochitlán collective at elevations between 1650 and 2000 masl, this lot is prepared using the washed method. Generally, washed processing is utilized to highlight the inherent clarity and acidity of a bean, often resulting in a cleaner cup profile compared to natural-processed coffees, which tend to show heavier fruit characteristics.

Roasted by PT's Coffee Roasting, this selection offers a balanced sensory experience defined by notes of caramel, cherry, and graham cracker. For those looking to better identify these specific nuances, consulting a flavor wheel can be an excellent way to refine your palate and deepen your understanding of how regional terroir and processing techniques influence the final cup.