Carlos Cadena
“I represent the fifth generation of coffee growers in my family. In fact, it was my father who began to remake conventional commodity coffee farming in his own image and slowly began to transform the family farm. From replanting, to planting new varieties, to pruning the coffee trees. I didn’t get a glimpse into my parents’ coffee business until after I finished my bachelor’s degree, when I returned to the farm.”
“In 2012, I started participating in the Taza Excelencia Mexico competition, where I placed 6th. That was a big turning point for me and a new revolution came. We started researching varieties and experimenting with new processes. What followed was a thorough sorting and identification of all our fields and sorting the lots according to what processing suited what. We are still learning about coffee. I took one of the courses on coffee processing at Finca Chelín. As far as competing, we’re continuing with that and aiming higher. In 2023, I won 3rd place at the Cup of Excellence with a blend of Gesha and Pacamara.”
COUNTRY
Mexico
REGION
Cosautlán de Carvajal, Veracruz
FARM
Finca Huehuetepan
ALTITUDE
1350 m
SIZE OF THE FARM
23 ha
COFFEE VARIETIES
Sarchimor, Anacafe14, Mundo Maya, Typica, Pacamara a Gesha
ABOUT THE FARM
“My grandfather acquired the farm around 1950, then he died suddenly and my mother, who was very young, took over the reins. With my grandfather’s death came a lot of difficult situations. My mother took over the farm in its original state and continued the traditional way of farming. She kept the varieties already planted, such as Typica. When my parents got together, my father took over the family farming. I subsequently started separating the varieties and changing the coffee processing practices. I believe the Typica from this particular farm is very special and different because of its unique flavor profile. It is a very stable floral flavor that is both sweet and balanced. Our farm is on the edge of a ravine, the soil is soft and airy, it also rains a lot and the ravine is surrounded by many trees such as Jinicuil and Pahua.”
“Basically all of the lots of choice coffee we process, with a few exceptions, are processed naturally. We ferment some extra, and the fermentation is done in dark grey food-grade plastic containers that retain UV light. These containers also have a screw cap to ensure a hermetic closure, an AirLock valve and a key to drain the leachate. All coffees are sun-dried on African beds. The process begins on the farm where the cherries are sorted and placed in storage for 24 hours, then moved 15km to a drying area where they are continuously rotated and turned over for 20 to 25 days to achieve even drying. After drying, they are moved to the warehouse where a sample is taken and stored in GrainPro and jute bags until the coffee is sold and transferred to the warehouse for export and subsequent sale.”
ABOUT THE LOTS
This year Chicas purchased 5 lots. Four lots of the Mundo Maya variety and one lot of the Bourbon variety. The girls and I sampled all the coffees at the farm and then on my short trip to Europe. The harvesting of these coffees took place roughly from March to May of 2023.
Huehuetepan 33 (MX-23-052)
The Mundo Maya variety is processed using the traditional dry method, where the process is basically very simple. The ripe cherry is harvested, sorted by density using water, washed free of impurities and left to rest for 20 hours. The whole cherries are then moved to African beds in the sun for a few days, where they are cared for.
When the coffee is fully dried, we wrap it in GrainPro bags and leave the coffee to stabilize for about two months to open up its flavors.
We clean the coffee from the husk to the bean just before it is shipped for export.
Huehuetepan E31 (MX-23-053)
The Mundo Maya variety is processed using the traditional dry method, where the process is basically very simple. The ripe cherry is harvested, sorted by density using water, washed free of impurities and left to rest for 20 hours. The whole cherries are then moved to African beds in the sun for a few days, where they are cared for.
When the coffee is fully dried, we wrap it in GrainPro bags and leave the coffee to stabilize for about two months to open up its flavors.
We clean the coffee from the husk to the bean just before it is shipped for export.
Huehuetepan E34 (MX-23-054)
For Lot E34 Mundo Maya natural anaerobic fermentation, the process begins with the harvesting of the cherries. The cherry is left to float in a container of water to remove all impurities and bad grains. The cherries are then left to rest for 20 hours. This is followed by moving them to closed tanks where we start the anaerobic fermentation process and after reaching the target fermentation hours, approximately 72 hours, they are dried on African beds.
Once the coffee is fully dried, we wrap it in GrainPro bags and leave the coffee to stabilize for about two months to open up its flavors.
The coffee is cleaned from the husk to the bean just before it is shipped for export.
Huehuetepan Bourbon natural (MX-23-055)
With Lot Bourbon natural anaerobic fermentation, the process begins with the harvesting of the cherries. The cherry is left to float in a container of water to remove all impurities and bad grains. The cherries are then left to rest for 20 hours. This is followed by moving them to closed tanks where we start the anaerobic fermentation process and after reaching the target fermentation hours, approximately 72 hours, they are dried on African beds.
Once the coffee is fully dried, we wrap it in GrainPro bags and leave the coffee to stabilize for about two months to open up its flavors.
The coffee is cleaned from the husk to the bean just before it is shipped for export.
Huehuetepan Bourbon natural (MX-23-056)
Lot L01 is a washed process of the Mundo Maya variety. The cherry comes into the wet mill and rests there for 20 hours before being devanatated, ground and cleaned of skin and pulp. Fermentation is carried out without water in a tank and lasts 24 hours.
When the coffee is fully dried, it is packed in GrainPro bags and left to stabilize for about two months to open up its flavors.
The coffee is cleaned of pergamino just before it is sent for export.
