Mexico Montecristo - Washed
MEXICO
MONTECRISTO
TOFFEE, ROOT BEER, RED PLUM + RAW SUGAR
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: Montecristo de Guerrero, Chiapas, Mexico
PROCESS: Washed
TASTING NOTES: Toffee, root beer, red plum, and raw sugar.
ROAST TYPE: Light/Medium
Farm Level
The Montecristo de Guerrero district lies between the mountains of the Sierra Madre del Sur in the state of Chiapas. 4.5 hours from the Chiapas airport, it's part of the buffer zone of the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve (Spanish for "The Triumph"). The El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve protects 10 specific environments, among them 2 of the most threatened in Mexico: the cloud forest and the rainforest. El Triunfo's cloud forest has some of the greatest diversity of tree species in North and Central America. The variety of vegetation inhabiting the reserve makes it a critical refuge for a huge number of species of wild flora and fauna, including the mythical Quetzal.
The producers in Montecristo are enthusiastic about environmental stewardship and always working toward this balance in their coffee cultivation. They work to maintain native tree species present on their lands, they've prohibited hunting in the area, and they know that deforestation, though tempting to make room for more productivity, doesn't lead to a healthy landscape for coffee production. They use native trees such as the leguminous ice cream bean tree for shade and nitrogen retention. For fertilizer, they use organic compost from coffee pulp.
The farms in this area are usually small, between 1 and 2 hectares, so harvest only requires family labor. On the slightly larger farms, producers usually hire external labor from other districts or Guatemalan migrant workers who show up for harvest. Most farms have access to the road and transport their coffees in trucks. The farms are located an average of 20 minutes from the collection centers. The majority of producers have their farms next to their houses.
After harvest, fermentation takes about 36 hours in concrete tanks, while drying takes 12-15 days on patios or raised beds. Coffee is the main income source for Montecristo's population, and they know that it has no future if nature and coffee are viewed as separate competing interests. So instead, they view coffee production as part of environmental stewardship, and superb coffees are the result.
General Brewing Instructions
- Filtered water. Spring water is ideal. Removing chloride, sulfur, and iron is essential.
- A burr grinder. The more even the coffee particles, the better the coffee. Burr grinders, whether manual or electric, will do a better job than "whirly-blade" grinders. Invest in a burr grinder. Your taste buds (and coffee roaster) will thank you.
- A scale. I know using a scale can seem a bit like you're doing something you shouldn't be. Trust me, you can only brew consistently great coffee with a scale. Water and coffee are hard to measure without one.
- Clean equipment. Properly cleaning your equipment is the only way to avoid stale and rancid coffee flavors entering your cup. Please keep your equipment clean. The sooner and more often you clean your gear, the easier it will be in the long run. Add it to your ritual and thank us later.
- Delicious and freshly roasted Color Coffee
- Hario V60 02. Check out Scott Rao's video on how to brew a better pourover than your local cafe does.
- French Press. Check out James Hoffman's video on how to brew a next level cup.
- Aeropress. Check out Tim Wendelboe's video on how to brew an exceptionally easy and delicious cup.
Coffee Faq
IS YOUR COFFEE ORGANIC OR FAIR TRADE?
In many cases, yes. However, our first priority is quality and flavor. Sometimes these priorities align and our producers are certified organic and/or fair trade. We always pay well above fair trade rates (which are quite low and don’t guarantee sustainability or quality).
Often times, the producers we work with are too small to gain certifications. It’s expensive and laborious. Many of our producers are certified organic and fair trade, including many of our producers in Peru, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME-FRAME TO DRINK MY COFFEE?
We recommend drinking our coffee within one month of the roast date. Most of our coffees taste best however within 2 - 14 days of roast date.
For espresso, we recommend using coffee that has rested at least 7 days after roast date. This is because coffee gives off CO2 after roasting that can interfere with extraction. One way to get around this is to let your ground espresso dose sit for 30-120 minutes before pulling the shot. Email info@colorroasters.com for more questions about this.
If you are pre-grinding the coffee, we recommend drinking the coffee within one week of grinding.
CAN YOU GRIND MY COFFEE ON WEB ORDERS?
Yes, we can. Please select how you want your coffee to be ground at the time you place your order. Simply click on the arrow beside "Grind" and make your selection. If you need help choosing let us know the brewing method you will be using to prepare the coffee, in the notes of the order. And we will be happy to grind the coffee for you on our commercial grinder.
DO YOU HAVE BREW RECIPES?
These are in the works! We are compiling a bunch and even shooting some video, to help you brew like us at home.
In the meantime...go here: Pour Overs | Aeropress to get some expert advice.
MY COFFEE TASTES WEAK, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?