Pepe is love, nature, and energy—all of which he pours into every lot of coffee he produces. This is another very small, regenerative, and organic selection, and each year it is an honor to work with these remarkable coffees. In the cup we find a sweet profile of fresh strawberries, hibiscus, and dulce de leche.
Mejorado
Imbabura
1,515 masl
March 2026
Hand-picked at peak ripeness. Held in open tanks for 12 hours. De-pulped. Washed. Dried on raised beds with controlled airflow and sun exposure to ensure consistency.
Pepe and his family are inspiring producers with equally remarkable farms. Their original farm, Finca Soledad, is a biodynamic operation situated within 120 hectares (~300 acres) of cloud forest—one of the most ecologically diverse environments we have encountered. Sidra, Gesha, and Mejorado are cultivated on just 4 hectares (~10 acres) within this expansive landscape. Beyond coffee production, Soledad is a community-oriented project that provides support and employment opportunities for single mothers in the area.
Mejorado is a very unique variety mainly grown in Ecuador. Though it is colloquially known as Typica Mejorado, we now know — thanks to genetic testing by World Coffee Research — that it is actually a Bourbon variety cross-pollinated with an Ethiopian Landrace variety.
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.