Ecuador Imbabura

Ecuador coffee is a rarity, and it's all expensive. So finding one that's worth the money takes a lot of phone calls and sampling. We actually went there in person last year to build a better network of suppliers there and help the process of finding good Ecuadorian coffee. 

This one is from the Imbabura Province in Northern Ecuador in the Andes Mountains. We bought the entire harvest of the farmer Oswaldo Almendariz, so it's probably the only Ecuador we will be getting this year since we went "all in" on it. It has the floral notes that I look for along with a caramel and slight nuttiness.

It reminds me of a Costa Rica so I'm roasting it to the same ending temperature that I would with a Costa Rica. The first cracks go a little bit longer than you might expect, so don't accidentally pull it out while still cracking or it will be sour tasting. And I would not take it into the 2nd cracks, as it loses its complexity and picks up a bitter aftertaste. But in between 1st and 2nd cracks you have a range of enjoyable coffee...the ones on the lighter end of the scale have more floral (rose), apple, grape, caramel notes. The roasts that near the 2nd cracks have more of a caramel with nut taste.  However, you can take this right around the 2nd cracks or just into and have a lovely espresso.  Not a lot of crema, but great sweetness and creamy mouthfeel.  This isn't a coffee you'll soon forget.

US Arrival March 2021