Next Roast 10/27: Mexico Tenejapa Valle de Jovel

This coffee comes from a producer group in San Cristobal de Las Casas, which is also known by its Tzotzil name, Valley de Jovel. The Mayan Tzotzil people are the predominant indigenous goup in Tenejapa, and produce much of the coffee in this region. Farms are very small, typically 2 hectares of coffee or less. Altitude in the Jovel valley reaches 1350 meters above sea level, and farms are planted in a mix of cultivars, such as older Typica types, Caturra, Marsallesa, and Costa Rica 95. Coffee is home processed, meaning each farmer is responsible for processing their harvest down to dried green seeds (with the parchment layer) before delivering it to the local mill where it is prepared for export. Processing small batches in heterogenous way like this can lead to a range of profiles from one farm to the next, and often helps bring complexity to blends. We found this community blend to be overall very well balanced, with structured acidity and mild top notes when roasted light. It's a definite 'crowd pleasing' coffee, and can also be roasted dark for hefty chocolate roast flavors that will work well in espresso too.