Ecuador - El Rocío Sidra

Tasting notes

In the roaster’s words

Our final Ecuador release for the 25/26 crop cycle, this lot from Julio Ullauri wowed us on the cupping table when we made our selections for the year. Really meticulous drying means we find this Sidra still super juicy and vibrant and excellent for the type - lots of pink fruits and super high sweetness. Brew Guide: Best Brewed with: Filter Lightest Roaster Influence: This lot was pretty low moisture so it's got incredibly low weight loss, however we think it's been part of the reason for its longevity. Because of the low moisture, it's required very little gas to get a nice snappy roast, and while the test roast was very sweet and structured we gave it a touch more development to up the intensity, and we think it's singing now. Best Rested: 4+ weeks Filter: 62g/L, 94°C when fresh; 92°C when rested Espresso: 18g/45g/24-28s We're tasting: Intense white florals (reminding us of wild privet blossoms) and honeydew melon on the aroma. In the cup it’s super juicy - we’re getting wild/alpine strawberry, yellow dragon fruit and physalis, in an excellent example of the Sidra variety. As it cools that classic variety character comes out in the form of a sweet/savoury note - like cuore del vesuvio tomato & a hint of basil. Super nice - this’d be a banger iced Traceability Country of Origin: Ecuador Region: Tulipe, Pichincha Producer: Julio Ullauri Farm: El Rocío Variety: Sidra Elevation: 1600 - 1800 MASL Process: Anoxic Washed: Ripe cherries laid under direct sunlight to dehydrate/oxidise and achieve a higher Brix degree before pulping. Cherries are then pulped and undergo fermentation for 72 hours in a sealed anoxic environment. Parchment is fully washed and laid to dry on raised African beds. Drying is managed using dehumidifiers inside polytunnels at night, with coffee moved outside during the day to manage the intense cloud-forest humidity of the Tulipe microclimate. Import Partner: Makicuna via Algrano Harvest: Crop 25/26 - Arrived UK: April 2026. New Purchasing Relationship The Story Finca El Rocío sits in Tulipe, in the north-western highlands of Pichincha, within Ecuador’s Chocó Andino biosphere reserve (a UNESCO recognised region, with over 3000 plant species recognised). This is peak cloud-forest country where the Andes meet moist Pacific air, and the resulting humidity, mineral-rich volcanic soils and wide daily temperature swings leads to an incredibly bio-diverse growing environment. Julio Ullauri is a former aeronautical engineer who spent over twenty

Notes

Farm: El Rocío. Import partner: Makicuna via Algrano. Harvest crop 25/26; arrived UK April 2026. Best rested 4+ weeks.