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About Ecuador La Papaya Rum Barrel Natural

Arrived mid April 2025, freshly shipped from Ecuador. Juan Peña is something of a young superstar coffee producer in Ecuador and his farm La Papaya is one of that country's coffee gems. Every year the coffee gets more sophisticated and the technologically more advanced.

This preparation is very innovative and unique. For the past 5 years La Papaya began experimentation by placing freshly harvested, ripe cherries in various containers for fermentation. As the process and results became better understood they added barrels to the experiment, which has culminated with this Oak Rum Barrel offering. Coffee cherries are placed into barrels that previously held rum for 20 years. They then sealed the barrels and let the fruit ferment for 120 hours or 5 days. During the period in these barrels the cherries undergo changes with the help of microorganisms, absorbing aromas and flavors from the environment while fermenting. This takes place in dark rooms kept below 65 degrees. Temperature and humidity of the room is monitored. After leaving the barrels, whole cherries head to the drying room where it requires 28 to 30 days of frequent turnover before reaching proper dryness.

Hacienda La Papaya, situated as a vanguard in the Saraguro region's coffee cultivation, embarked on its journey in 2010 with a clear vision: to uphold excellence in every aspect of coffee production. By pioneering innovative agricultural techniques, from drip irrigation to selecting exclusive coffee varietals, the farm set itself apart. Subsequently, its coffees garnered acclaim in both the United States and Asian markets following their inaugural export in 2014, frequently clinching top positions in prestigious international competitions.

La Papaya is located in the Saraguro region of Southern Ecuador. Located directly on the equator (Ecuador in Spanish!) and sandwiched between Colombia to the north and Peru to its south and east. There are two primary growing regions: north of the capital, Quito, and Loja Province in the south. Both areas have particularly high elevations, with some farms planting up to 2300 meters; it is about the highest grown coffee on earth. You can only grow coffee at this altitude on the equator, and even there, the potential for frost exists on the coolest of evenings.

Oak Rum Barrels used for fermenting coffee cherries for this lot

We made two trips to Ecuador in 2016, the first in June which involved a stay in Quito and a flight to Loja, where we trekked deep into the mountains to get to the rural, scattered coffee farms that dot the region. The growers we met along the way were lovely, warm people who graciously offered us food and water. Throughout our travels we heard about La Papaya coffee and how it was impossible to secure any that season.It became a benchmark of sorts for others when they described their coffee as being "like La Papaya". Near the end of the trip in Quito we were invited to an espresso bar and cafe where a member of their staff was heading into an international competition as the representative from Ecuador. The coffee chosen to represent them was La Papaya.When we asked if there was any to try, we were given about half a pound, freshly roasted. The morning after, we made our first pot, a typica varietal at its finest: bold and exotic. We relished the bag until it was gone, thinking we would not have the chance to acquire any ourselves. Since then, we have offered a number of coffees from La Papaya, each unique.

La Papaya is owned and operated by Juan Peña, who comes from a long line of farmers. Previously, he was a long stem rose producer, but he started experimenting with coffee plants when disastrous weather wiped out his flower fields. After his crops were destroyed, he turned entirely to working on coffee and has worked vigorously to develop a healthy, successful, and agriculturally intentional farm with a focus on technology and innovation. In addition to his cherry producing crops, he also has a plant nursery and garden where coffee trees are planted several yards apart and labeled with the fertilizer inputs so that they may track the impact of the nutrients on growth and cherry development. The farm is located at a staggering elevation of 2100 meters.

Producer: Hacienda La Papaya
Varietal: Typica
Producer: Juan Peña
Elevation: 2100 meters (6890 feet)
Region: Saraguro/Loja
Process: Oak Rum Barrel fermentation of whole cherry for 5 days
Drying: 28-30 days on tables
Harvest: March - October 2024

Peña, who secured three consecutive Sprudge Notable Producer awards, shows that Hacienda La Papaya remains committed to a strategy of perpetual research and technological advancement. Collaborating closely with Cuencas University, the farm fosters a culture of interdisciplinary exploration that integrates expertise in egronomics, barista craft, and cacao farming. Through rigorous quality control mechanisms and the incorporation of cutting-edge sensor technology, the farm maintains its dedication to producing exceptional coffee.

The lovely vista from La Papaya

Beyond its contributions to the coffee industry, Hacienda La Papaya serves as a cornerstone of formal employment within the community, offering stable livelihoods to a diverse workforce that includes women and high school students during harvest seasons. Due to its location nestled in the Andean-coastal region, the farm benefits from favorable climatic conditions and ample water resources, necessitating irrigation practices distinct from those employed in more humid- tropical locales.

The Typica variety has been at Hacienda La Papaya since 2009, in seeds that were acquired directly from an experimental farm in northern Ecuador. Juan Peña’s farm has maintained a batch of special coffee for seeds that was established in 2010, and in this particular batch, they identify the Mother Plants and take the seeds for reproduction only. They do this with the goal of conserving the variety of the same genetics. This is done through genetic testing performed at World Coffee Research to accurately determine their current genetics.

Looking ahead, Hacienda La Papaya envisions a future where it continues to push the boundaries of coffee research and technological innovation. By remaining at the forefront of experimentation in varietals and processing methods, the farm endeavors to solidify its status as a trailblazer in the realm of specialty coffee, proudly representing Ecuador on the global stage.Hacienda La Papaya, situated as a vanguard in the Saraguro region's coffee cultivation, embarked on its journey in 2010 with a clear vision: to uphold excellence in every aspect of coffee production. From pioneering innovative agricultural techniques like drip irrigation to selecting exclusive coffee varietals, the farm set itself apart. Subsequently, its coffees garnered acclaim in both the United States and Asian markets following their inaugural export in 2014, frequently clinching top positions in prestig

Cup Characteristics: Complex notes from oak rum barrel immersion including vanilla and nougat. Raisin, tamarind, miso. Very sweet, concentrated and focused Natural, also showing passion fruit, mandarin and chocolate.

Roasting Notes: This is a high grown, dense bean that will withstand lighter and darker roasting. To retain the dryness it is recommended to pull before 2nd crack, but the bean lends itself to darker roasts to highlight the bold character of the coffee.