This coffee is a washed Mejorado variety from Hacienda La Papaya in Ecuador, grown at an altitude of 2,000 meters. The farm, managed by Juan Peña, utilizes a data-driven approach to cultivation. The coffee is processed by depulping and fermenting the cherries in water for 15 hours, followed by a thorough rinse and drying on raised beds for 10-18 days. The flavor profile is elegant and clean, featuring notes of stone fruit, green apple, citrus, orange blossom, rose, and limeade.
Origin
Hacienda La Papaya (Ecuador)
Flavor Notes
Rose, Citrus Fruit, Green Apple, Limeade, Orange Blossom, Stone Fruit
Rebecca Grossman and Lucas Smith founded Ilse in 2019, starting with a thousand dollars and a rented roaster in Stamford before building out their own facility in a converted mechanic's garage in North Canaan. The approach is quality-driven: light roasts, single-producer microlots, and a commitment to buying entire harvests from the same farms year after year, some relationships now stretch back to the beginning. Pricing is transparent; each bag lists what the producer was paid, the FOB price, and Ilse's cost. Sourcing focuses on Central and South America and East Africa, with Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia, and Ethiopia appearing regularly.
