José Luis

Manhattan Coffee roasters from Rotterdam, The Netherlands worked their magic roasting this hybrid washed SL28 from a special experimental lot by their trusted partner José Luis.

Farm: Hacienda Santa Gertrudis
Producer: José Luis
Country: Ecuador
Micro Region: Loja
Altitude: 1600-1700 masl
Variety: SL28
Processing: Hybrid washed

Expect notes of: Lemon candy, Hibiscus, Cherry with a round mouthfeel

Greetings from the roaster:

“We harvest coffee cherries for these lots at their optimal ripeness, typically around 18 degrees Brix. We take the cherries to the wet mill, where we manually sort them to ensure no overripe or underripe beans. Next, we submerge the coffee in water and remove floating beans to prevent density-related defects. Once we have a defect-free mass of beans, we place them in a closed plastic tank for a 72-hour fermentation period. After this time, we pulp the coffee and let it ferment for 24 hours before washing it.

Once washed, we transfer the coffee to the drying room, where I prefer to dry it slowly. This method helps preserve the coffee’s aromas, flavors, and complexity. Our drying facility consists of three levels of trays. At the beginning of the drying process, we place the coffee on the lower trays. After five days, we move it to the middle level, and after another five days, we transfer it to the top level. This gradual progression ensures that the coffee loses moisture progressively. Once the coffee reaches 16% humidity, we store it for 15 days before returning it to the drying facility to complete the process.”
-José Luis

About the farm

For more than a century, the Eguiguren family has owned Hacienda Santa Gertrudis, which has delved into various coffee markets, transitioning from commodity coffee to specialty coffee. Equipped with a complete wet and dry mill, Hacienda Santa Gertrudis processes its own coffee production while extending assistance to local coffee farmers. This support includes warehousing, milling, exporting, and technical guidance to ensure compliance with specialty coffee standards. As a result, local families have experienced increased income, empowering them to reinvest in their farms and bolster their livelihoods. This collaborative effort epitomises the essence of a Project Origin aspiration.