José Argüello, Finca Santa Cruz, Mexico

Variety: Typica / Bourbon

Elevation: 1600 masl

Taste: Marshmallow, Strawberry, Vanilla

Process: Natural

Region: La Concordia, Chiapas

This is our second year purchasing coffee from José. Last year we purchased a washed typica. This year, we purchased a natural process typically/bournon blend. Get into this coffee for a very sweet cup with subtle strawberry notes (imagine a fluffy strawberry marshmallow)

“José Argüello is a third-generation coffee grower and the director of a regional producer’s cooperative named CAFECO. José lives in Santa Cruz, a farm he bought 8 years ago which is now run as a family business. The finca is located in the municipality of La Concordia, in a township with the same name. Lush vegetation shades the coffee trees, living in harmony with local biodiversity. Santa Cruz spans a total of 250 hectares, out of which 95 are dedicated to coffee production while the remaining area corresponds to an endemic forest part of the Reserva de la Biósfera Triunfo Verde.

José’s father passed down all the knowledge he had amassed during his lifetime to his children. José is now leading all of thefinca’s activities and his sister, Karina Argüello, is in charge of selling the coffee. Additionally, as a family, they have their eyes set on Tuxla, the state’s capital, looking for the opportunity to open a café. Being the director of CAFECO, José’s intention is to sell Santa Cruz’ coffee, but also the coffee of allied producers from the region.

When finca Santa Cruz is looking to develop a new product (process or variety), it comes along with experimentation. Starting with an adequate collection of the cherry, José then let’s loose to the fermentation stage. As part of the experimentation, he dries, roasts and cups a coffee sample for each hour interval. José does this for up to 200 hours of fermentation. Meaning that for a new product, him and his team cup at least 200 samples (one per hour of fermentation). Based on cup profile, the best moment to stop the fermentation and begin the drying stage is stablished. At José’s finca Santa Cruz, every product is well thought off and developed with care. It is no surprise José’s coffees produce an extraordinary cup profile.”