BY EVERY HAND BETRAYED, Mexico

Roasters Notes: Black Cherry, Dried Fig, Chocolate Mousse

Ixhuatlán del Café serves as the processing hub for the Santuario Project Mexico, an integral facility housing wet and dry mills, greenhouses, drying areas, a coffee garden, a laboratory, and a warehouse, all dedicated to the pursuit of exceptional quality.

In this facility, small producers from Veracruz collaborate to produce and isolate only the most remarkable lots, which are then meticulously processed under the careful supervision of the Santuario project's expert managers.

To maintain consistent excellence, attention to detail begins on the farms. Brix measurements, selective picking, precise cleaning, and thorough cherry sorting are all factors scrutinised before the cherries are delivered to the centre. The cherries are harvested at varying stages of ripeness depending on the processing method, ensuring the final cup reaches its full potential.

Once at the centre, every aspect of post-harvest processing is closely monitored. The pristine, state of the art facilities allow the managers to exercise exacting control over each stage of fermentation. Each lot is slowly shade-dried on African beds, with fans and extractors regulating temperature and humidity, guaranteeing a stable environment throughout the drying process. The result is a coffee of remarkable clarity, stability, and a lingering finish.

The cherries are initially harvested once they surpass 25 Brix, then soaked in water for four hours. The first fermentation, lasting 42 hours with Mossto, follows. The coffee is depulped, leaving a mere 5% of the mucilage around the seeds, and undergoes a second 22-hour fermentation with Mossto. The cherries are then sun-dried and left to rest on African beds for 18 days. Finally, they undergo a five-day shade-rest to stabilise humidity, before being stored in GrainPro bags. This process lowers the coffee’s pH to acidic levels, unlocking sweet and vibrant flavours.