Ecuador Pichincha Imbabura Chirimoya LTD

We've got another first for you with our latest Limited Edition offering. Never before has ACR carried a coffee from Ecuador. Believe it or not, it's not so easy to get Ecuadorian coffees, but we were able to get our hands on a few bags, and we are absolutely enamored with the unique profile of this specialty small-farm blend. We are super stoked to share with you Ecuador Chirimoya LTD.

Photo Credit: Reiseuhu "View from the Highway in Ecuador"

It may come as a surprise, but Ecuador's presence in the global coffee scene has not been very pronounced in the past few decades. The decline has been attributed mostly to a decrease in land available for Arabica cultivation in addition to the sharp increase in production costs since Ecuador switched their currency to the US Dollar. Our coffee broker had this to say about how the growing conditions in Ecuador have impacted coffee production,

"Ecuador’s namesake position on the Earth’s equator means that medium-altitude coffee enjoys practically a perfect year-round growing season, often with flowering and ripe cherry sharing the same branch most months. For small farms this means a small but long-term labor force to manage the slow, perfectionistic work required for such a drawn-out harvest."

It's folks like Galo Flores and his wife Maria Alexandra Rivera of Finca Cruz Loma that are actively working to preserve Ecuador's place in the coffee world. Leveraging their extensive backgrounds in the Ecuadorian coffee production chain, Flores and Rivera are able to bring specialty coffees to exporters, giving exposure to smaller coffee producers of the region. 

Sorting and processing coffee on a farm in Pichincha province

This coffee is extraordinary. Interestingly, while the tropical fruit notes are prominent, you aren't overwhelmed by their presence. It's a much more delicate presentation with lingering tamarind and honeydew melon notes. We particularly enjoyed various pour-over methods and espresso, but we suspect it would make a fan-flippin-tastic cold brew as well. 

• Washed processed
• Medium roast
• Various small farms in Pichincha and Imbabura provinces
• Grown at 1500-1800 masl
• Notes of tropical fruit, tamarind, and butter crust

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Sources: 

• Equal Exchange Co-op
• Perfect Daily Grind