Fausto Romo Honey - Ecuador

This fruity and floral honey-processed Sidra comes to us via Fausto Romo, an accomplished producer in Ecuador’s Pinchincha Province. Originally invested in dairy farming, Fausto shifted to coffee production soon after purchasing his farm, La Carolina. While La Carolina sits at only 1,300 masl, the region’s cool microclimates and cloud forest coverage allow for slower cherry maturation and refined, complex cup profiles. In this particular lot, the honey process — where seeds are dried with a small portion of cherry mucilage intact — imparts a glazed quality to classic Sidra fruit and botanical notes. In the cup we taste creamy raspberry, sweet apple, and slightly resinous florality.

Fausto Romo's honey-processed Sidra from Ecuador's Pinchincha Province presents a distinctive profile shaped by both varietal and method. Sidra, a relatively newer varietal known for distinctive aromatics, pairs here with honey processing—a technique that retains some fruit mucilage during drying, typically deepening sweetness and body. The tasting notes of creamy raspberry and sweet apple suggest ripe stone fruit and orchard fruit character, while the resinous florality adds aromatic complexity. This combination reflects how honey-processed coffees tend to showcase heavier, more candied fruit notes compared to washed alternatives. Roasted by Tandem Coffee Roasters, this lot exemplifies contemporary specialty sourcing from Ecuador's volcanic highlands, where altitude and processing method converge to create nuanced flavor.