The sparkling acidity of lemon, sweet notes of peach, and a light, tea-like touch of oolong. That’s exactly what theAbel Salinas coffee from the Canadian roaster September Coffee is like. Don’t expect a wild, cloying fruit bomb, but rather a clean and elegant experience that glides in and leaves behind only a pleasantly sweet, tea-like finish.
Ecuadorian farmerAbel Salinas is responsible for the beans of this pristine coffee. His farm,Finca Arashi,spans 7 hectares of land and is located in theLoja region, in the Saraguro area of Ecuador ,at an elevation of 1,900 meters above sea level. At this altitude, the cherries ripen more slowly due to lower temperatures, allowing them to absorb more nutrients, resulting in a coffee that is much sweeter and more complex in the cup. You’re getting your hands on a proven classic, as CanadianSeptember Coffee has been offering beans from this farm for the third year in a row. And it’s no wonder, since Abel’s beans won the Cup of Excellence in 2021! The Mejoradovariety is a true gem among Ecuadorian coffees. It was long assumed that this was a local Ecuadorian mutation of the Typica variety, but only modern analysis of the genetic information of Mejorado coffee trees revealed that this claim could not be further from the truth. In fact, it is a variety created by crossing the Bourbon variety with a wild Ethiopian landrace variety. Mejorado is prized for its incredible clarity, elegance, and complexity.
The coffee cherries are de-pulped precisely when they reach perfect ripeness. The beans then undergo dry fermentation for 24 hours before being processed using the wet method. Thanks to the dry fermentation, the coffee has a beautifully fruity and full-bodied sweetness reminiscent of peaches, and it is the washing of the beans that highlights the light clarity in the cup. Immediately after washing, Abel moves the beans to the drying stage, which takes approximately 15 days. The entire process is carefully controlled, unlocking the coffee’s full potential.