Our first Ecuadorian offering, Finca Maputo is situated in Ecuador's incredible 'cloud forests' of the Pichincha province, close in proximity to neighboring Colombia and on the equator. With the help of Café Imports, we were able to arrange an origin-trip for one of our baristas, Lucas Chemotti, who had the opportunity to document some of his trip in this post (http://www.nossacoffee.com/nossablog/20 ... to-ecuador) and the video below:
The Region:

The area is known for its high humidity, abundant butterflies and is surrounded by rivers with hundreds of small waterfalls. A persistent fog hangs over the area, and the mist that usually covers the farm in the afternoon makes it feel as though you're walking in the clouds.



The Farmers:

Henry and Verena Gaibor, the co-owners and operators of Finca Maputo, met when working with Doctors without Borders in Burundi, Africa. Henry and Verena managed a clinic together in Maputo, Mozambique - the namesake of their future coffee farm.



The couple's methodical, meticulous approach to coffee production has elevated their coffees to an exceptional level in a relatively short period of time, a true feat in coffee production. The Gaibors are not only dedicated to ensuring the high quality of their coffee, they also believe the most important element of coffee production is the human factor. They recognize the importance of their farm to the local community and their workers and strive to provide them with fair wages and safe working conditions.

Altogether, the Gaibors and their farm embody the values of Nossa Familia: great people, making great coffee, and giving back.

Location: La Perla, Nanegal, Pichincha
Varietal: Typica
Altitude: 1350 masl
Processing Method: Washed
Farmer: Henry & Verena Gaibor
Relationship: We sourced this coffee through Cafe Imports after one of our baristas visited the farm
Our Notes: Orange, jasmine, honey

Rob Hoos' Cupping Score: 87.5

Purchase HERE! ...and don't forget your 20% code, HBDEAL20

Geoff, have you guys pulled shots with this? I'd be curious to hear if you have. I've been finding a lot of recent Ecuadorian coffees make spectacular espresso with their slightly subdued acidity compared to other Latin American coffees.

Tom! I'll be completely honest: we have yet to pull this as espresso. Our first roast was this past week and the whole company then left on a company retreat. I just asked Rob if he'd tried it as espresso personally and he said no, but he's inclined to think it will be good as espresso, light and bright being the goal. I'll update you next week!

I'm on it! And thanks for the tip and code. The Eucuador Loja that Stumptown offered was a few years ago was delicious and I really like the story behind this coffee.

Allllllright. We've worked on pulling some shots of this sucker and have come up with the following notes:

--20 gram dose, yielding 40 grams in 28 seconds
--Tasting notes: orange-zest, cinnamon, and caramel--very floral
--Delicate and balanced with a pleasant citrus-characteristic; not overwhelming, face-puckering citrus, but present. (Spot on Tom!)

The office crew is currently enjoying these shots as Rob runs back and forth from the lab. It's definitely not one for milk-based drinks, though, as you'd imagine.

Mine sat in cold storage for a few months. I shared the bag with my friend who co-owns our HUKY 500. Tasty coffee it was.

And I want to give a shout out to our friends at Nossa Familia for having a very nice account in Hood River. Pine Street Bakery has Ernesto's Blend for espresso (the barista pulled my quite a respectable shot using the LM Linea and SJ) and a italian roast for drip this week. The Pine Street Kitchen was so good for dinner that we decided to stop by the bakery the next day for coffee and breakfast. That was a good choice. Also I got to peruse the nice Shutterfly photo album left there by Nossa Familia.