1. Ecuador – Makicuna

From the highlands of Loja and Pichincha comes a coffee with a particularly interesting story. Makicuna brings together coffee from twelve different farms, creating a snapshot of Ecuador’s coffee production in a single lot.

The idea began with a problem faced when preparing high-quality coffee for export. Makicuna’s standard export boxes hold 30kg, but individual farm lots do not always divide neatly into that amount. A 315kg lot, for example, fills ten boxes but leaves 15kg of perfectly good, export-quality coffee behind. Those smaller quantities can be difficult to export economically on their own, despite being every bit as good as the rest of the harvest. Rather than allowing them to go unused or lose their identity in lower-value channels, Makicuna brings the farmers together.

That creates an additional route into the international speciality market for coffee produced in quantities that might otherwise be too small to export independently. It also means one cup can represent a much broader cross-section of Ecuadorian coffee production than a traditional lot.

The coffee comes from producers including Rosa Morillo, John Ortiz, Javier Castro, Verena Blasser, Gladys Erazo and Olinka Velez, across farms including La Rosita, La Joya, Kafipamba, Maputo and Chorora. It is grown between 1,500 and 2,200 metres and includes Sidra, Typica Mejorado, Caturra and Bourbon. Makicuna consists of 70% washed and 30% honey processed coffee.

It is a simple but powerful idea: reduce waste, create greater opportunity for smaller producers and showcase the diversity of Ecuador in one coffee.

Flavour profile: Peach, green apple, blackcurrant, milk chocolate.