The Coffees of Mexico

Central America: Mexico

Shade cover for Oaxacan coffee

Hurricane Damage from Mitch in Chiapas, 2 years later!

Mexican coffee originates from South-central to Southern regions of the country. For that reason, coffees from Coatepec and Veracruz are much different from Oaxacan Plumas, which are in turn much different from the Southernmost region of Chiapas. The later is a growing region bordering the Guatemalan growing area of Huehuetenango, and you will find similarities between those coffees. In general you can expect a light-bodied coffee, mild but with delicate flavors ...But there are exceptions of course. Mexican is one of the largest producers of certified organic coffees, and because of the US close proximity, we receive the bulk of fine Mexican coffees in this market. Mexican coffees are worth exploring for the variety of cup characteristics they present, and their great price!

Mexicans are moderately priced, lighter bodied, and wide-ranging in their cup character. For this reason, you need to explore coffee selections from each of the regions to get a good sense of the possibilities of Mexican coffee. Unfortunately, I rarely approve of the cup quality of coffees from Coatepec and Atoyac, and have never carried a Veracruz. Most of the impressive coffees I find are from Oaxaca and Chiapas.

It may seen to fly in the face of espresso-blending laws, but try an espresso made with 100% Oaxaca Pluma coffee, such as the Tres Flechas, Loxicha, Tres Oros ...it is excellent roasted just a bit into 2nd crack.

I was in Chiapas recently for a brief trip, looking into next year's project to identify, separate and evaluate the coffees of small producer-groups. Here's some comments and images from this short trip.

Current Crop Comments:

We have been happy with our Chiapas coffees this year, and the very exotic dry-process Nayarit lot as well. In general, it has become harder, not easier, for me to find great Mexican coffees from Oaxaca and Chiapas. While other origins have improved their visibility, and their skills to produce specialty coffee, Mexico remains quiet on the subject, having to promotional competition or related auction. Mexico has relied more on the Organic and Fair Trade model to attain better prices, rather than looking for a reward in quality. That can work fine, and I support both efforts (as you see on our offer list). But they leave behind those dependent on private farms ... and that part of the market has (I believe) become more volume-oriented. In 2007 we are cupping and isolating small-producer groups in the Chiapas region to find areas that might have special cup character. Look for the results of those projects soon. -Tom

coffee token - guatimoc mexico 1911
Coffee token with coffee tree design - Guatimoc, Mexico 1911

Small producer in Chiapas

Cooperative farmers, Oaxaca

Our Mexican Coffee Offerings: Please refer to our Reference Page for definitions of terms and cupping numbers used below.

Mexico Organic Chiapas Proish Coop

Country:

Mexico

Grade:

Alturra

Region:

Chiapas

Mark:

Proish Coop, Chiapas

Processing:

Wet-processed

Crop:

July 2008 Arrival

Appearance:

.2 d/300gr, 16-18 Screen

Varietal:

Mostly Typica

Notes:Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico, at the Guatemalan border. The coffees are distinct from the Oaxaca Plumas and Coatepec coffees: they are a little brighter, sweeter, and bear some resemblance to the Huehuetenango coffees of Guatemala. Oaxaca is my other favorite Mexican origin, but the really good Chiapas coffees like this one have been consistently excellent, are a brighter and livelier cup. Many of the coffees from Chiapas are from small farms, cooperatively wet-milled and sold. We have offered the UDEPOM coop Chiapas for years. (UDEPOM, PROISH ... not the greatest names in the world. Proish? Sorta Pro? It's not the oddest coop name I have heard, or longest (Fedecocagua is up there for that award). Biut besides an early lot we had this season, the quality was up and down. SO we looked around and this Prosih organic-certified Chiapas landed on the cupping table, and it was classic Chiapas cup character. In fact, this is the first time we have selected a Proish Coop coffee in blind cupping, mainly because it is the first time it has broken the 84 point ceiling on the cupping table. This cup has a very attractive, clean fruited character from start to finish. In the dry fragrance, there is a mild coffee cherry and coffee floral scent, and hazelnut roast tones (C+ roast). Adding the hot water to brew, and wet aromatics of tropical fruit, cane sugar. In the cup the fruit has a mango sweetness, turning to peach-apricot nectar in the finish.

Intensity/Prime Attribute:Mild intensity / Sweetness, light body,

Roast:Takes a wide range of roasts from City+ to Full City to Full City+.

Compare to: A sweet and simple cup with interesting nut, chocolate and fruit aspects

Mexico Organic Nayarit Dry-Process

Country:

Mexico

Grade:

Alturra

Region:

Nayarit

Mark:

Terruno Dry-Process

Processing:

Dry-processed

Crop:

July 2008 Arrival

Appearance:

.6 d/300gr, 17 Screen

Varietal:

Typica

Notes:This lot is quite unusual, not because of the region it is from or the fact it arrives later in the season than other Mexican lots. It's unusual because it is a full natural, dry-process coffee from Mexico. Actually, dry-process Mexico coffees can be found in many small markets across Mexico, since it is the cheapest way to process coffee. And those can be some of the nastiest Mexican coffees you have ever tasted, full of defect black beans, rotted fruit fermented flavors, phenolic fungus taste. Ironically, dry-process coffee, done right, is much more difficult and more costly that a more technified wet-process lot. To do it right, you need to pick ripe red coffee cherry, quickly and carefully dry it in the husk, remove that peel, and then hand-sort defective beans, requiring many hours of labor. Wet-process removes defects with machines ... under-ripe cherries float, other defects are removed on the gravity separator and screening machines. To make a really good dry-process it is all done manually, by highly experienced people. Anyway, the coffee is from the same location as the Terruno Wet-Process from earlier in the season. It is from the state of Nayarit, more specifically, west of the capital, Tepic. The 260 small-holder farms in this group are clustered around Cerro San Juan, an extinct volcano, so the soil type and altitude contribute to the cup quality. Nayarit is fairly low (the city of Tepic is 3000 feet) but the volcano immediately rises to 7000 feet, providing sloped terrain with good altitude, drainage and climate for the coffee. The aromatics of this coffee are much closer to a dry-processed Ethiopia than to any other Central America coffee; intense, rustic fruited notes, spice, and caramel sweetness. It's winey in the extreme, almost headed in the direction of oxidized wine (ie. getting vinegary!) ... but thankfully it's not. There's a hint of sourdough yeast in the dry fragrance. The cup, especially at the darker roast levels I prefer here, has a heavy chocolate character with traces of almond and (of course) a strongly fruited backdrop. Lighter roasts have an apricot brandy flavor. At both levels, the body is dense and opaque, the aftertaste extremely long. Unlike other natural coffees, I think this coffee is limited in it's espresso use, except as a component in a blend less than 20%.

Intensity/Prime Attribute:Bold intensity / Heavy body, chocolate, and almond

Roast:Full City to Full City+ to Vienna.

Compare to: Ethiopia dry-process Sidamo coffees in terms of fruited character and body, Brazil dry-process in terms of body and chocolate.

South America: Bolivia | Brazil | Colombia | Ecuador | Peru

Decafs: Water Process, Natural Decafs, MC Decafs, C0-2 Decafs

Robustas: India Archives: A - COL | COS - F | G - K | L - P | R - S | T - Z | 2005-2006 | 2004 -2003 | 2001-2002 | Pre-2000
Tom's Sample Cupping Log | Moisture Content Readings

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