Juan Peña is a notable coffee producer that is recognized for his meticulous approach to growing coffee and producing some of the most delicious coffees Ecuador has to offer. This year, we purchased two of his coffees to showcase his fine work. Our first coffee release from Juan’s family farm, Hacienda La Papaya, was a vibrant and refreshing washed coffee, and now, we have the same coffee that has been processed as an anaerobic natural.
Coffee trees neatly lined at Hacienda La Papaya
Juan takes a very scientific approach from start to finish. Growing several varieties, trees are planted several yards apart, and each tree is labelled with the fertilizers they’ve been given to track the impact of the nutrients on growth and development. When coffees go into the processing stage, Juan experiments with various controlled fermentation and drying methods and meticulously records data. Juan is always looking for new ways to improve and is dedicated to continuing his experiments. Whatever he learns, he shares his knowledge with other farmers, and also allows them to use processing stations and space at the farms.
Drying tables are labeled in order for Juan to keep track of each processing experiment
In the anaerobic natural process, ripe coffee cherries are picked and fermented in a low oxygen tank for several days. Afterwards the cherries are dried on raised beds and stirred every hour to ensure drying. In Juan’s process, ripe cherries are picked and fermented in a low-oxygen tank for 120 hours. During this fermentation period, he records the environmental conditions inside the barrel. Afterwards, the coffees are placed on raised drying beds in a drying room, and the temperature of the cherries were recorded during the 26 days it took for the cherries to completely dry. This extensive data tracking has allowed Juan to refine his process and make informed, educated decisions for the future harvests. While labor intensive, the resulting coffee is loud but exquisite and is bursting with punchy flavors. It shines with notes of starfruit, kiwi, and champagne. Try it both hot and iced!