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Representing roughly 2% of global coffee production, Mexico is well-known for its coffee grown in the Chiapas and Oaxacan regions situated in the southern reaches of the country. Coffee first arrived in Mexico with the Spanish colonists in the 18th century. After independence from Spain, the country, although in turmoil, began to slowly cultivate coffee plantations in the southern states. Border disputes with Guatemala ensued as Europeans bought up large swathes of land, pushing indigenous populations into
the mountains.

The Mexican Revolution led to Agrarian Reforms redistributing land to local populations. Small-scale coffee production exploded with the creation of the National Coffee Institute of Mexico (INMECAFE) in 1973 yet was dismantled in 1989 following the International Coffee Crisis. With the lack of support from a governing coffee body, producers were then forced to sell coffee at low prices to local coyotes. Thanks to the creation of cooperatives and other producer organizations, producers received more support and were provided with better access to international markets. Today, coffee production has stabilized and remained strong. This lot is one example of how Mexican coffee has prospered.

In the coastal region of Mexico known as Veracruz, sits the well-known coffee-producing area, Ixhuatlán del Café. With its climbing elevations, historic artifacts, and rich volcanic and clay soils – Ixhuatlán is home to a collection of coffee producers and the Santuario Project, where this lot comes from. Initiated in 2017, the Santuario Project is truly a place of magnificence and superior coffee quality. The Ixhuatlán processing centre was opened in 2019. With a dedicated team, carefully orchestrated processes, and advanced greenhouses, labs, and state-of-the-art wet and dry mills – the project has thrived in Mexico, producing top lots like this one coming from the town of Orizaba. Cherries are collected from various farms throughout this area and delivered to the Santuario processing facilities.

The Criollo varietal is a descendant of the Typical varietal, directly related to Ethiopian varietals. It was introduced to the Americas in the 18th century and became a prominent varietal for coffee cultivation throughout Latin America. Criollo has an excellent flavour profile but has been replaced by other varietals in Mexico since it is low yielding and more susceptible to Coffee Leaf Rust. Therefore, farmers began growing hardier varietals that had lower cup quality. Farmers focused on growing higher quality coffee for the specialty market have decided to maintain the delicate Criollo crop in higher altitudes, preserving the cultural history of coffee in Mexico.

The coffee is harvested carefully, thanks to constant Brix measurements of the total sugar in each cherry. Once harvested, the cherries are delivered to the wet mill to be submerged in water, removing floaters, or low-quality cherries. They are then soaked in water to re-hydrate the cherry skin for three hours. Next, the cherries are de-pulped, removing the external fruit, leaving 25% of the mucilage on the bean. The coffee sits for 12 hours to initiate an aerobic fermentation. The coffee is then dispersed on raised beds to dry in the open sun for eight days, then a final slow drying in Guardiolas until the water content reaches 12%. To stabilize the humidity of the coffee, it is bagged in Grain Pro bags to rest for 8 days. The coffee is then hulled and prepared for export at the Dos Ríos dry mill.

Ixhuatlán del Café is the processing area for the Santuario Project and where this coffee undergoes its unique process. Also, Ixhuatlán del Café is home to the greenhouses and experimentation areas that allow for trials of these high-quality processing methods. The Santuario staff are dedicated to quality assurance, regularly monitoring the harvest and each step of processing to ensure excellent quality is maintained. Working with these producers reveals how special the coffee is in this region of Mexico, and why members of the Santuario Project seek to preserve this historic coffee-producing community.