Producer: 5 Smallholders
Farm: Various
Region: Imbabura Province
Altitude: 1,700-1,900 masl | 5,577-6,234 feet
Varietal: Typica, Caturra, Bourbon
Process: Washed
Roast: Light
Notes: Apricot, Lemon Verbena, Caramel

There are few coffee growers in northern Ecuador's Imbabura province, a fairly remote mountainous region that contains the Intag Cloud Forest Reserve and the headwaters of the Intag River. Past distrust between growers and coffee merchants led many farmers to switch to other crops. Most producers don't have micro-mills on their farms, so they either sell their coffee as cherries or use the few remaining micro-mills owned by individual farmers.

Five smallholders in Cotacachi Canton contributed to this lot, growing among shade trees such as plantains, citrus, and nogal. The washed coffee underwent a traditional fermentation of 18-20 hours before drying on covered patios. It's a beautiful example of the sweet, structured coffees we've been sourcing from Ecuador recently.