MEXICO MAFAFAS #2597

Lots here range from 3–6 hectares, slightly larger than other nearby regions, but producers take vastly different approaches depending on elevation. Between 1350–1500 masl, farms are flatter and more technical, shaded by ice-cream bean trees and take a more commercial approach to soil management. Above 1500 masl, the land becomes more rugged, farms are smaller, and native oak and pine are typically used for shading, with compost and chicken manure as the primary fertilizers.

Even with its challenges, Mafafas’ distinct microclimate, where temperatures can shift dramatically in minutes, helps produce coffee with depth and complexity. Farmers harvest ripe cherries and bring them to a central wet mill in Coatepec, about two hours away. There, the coffee is washed with spring water, fermented in concrete tanks for 48 hours, and then dried mechanically over 60 hours.