Mexico - SIPRO FW [25/26]

Brew Guide:

Best Brewed with: Filter and Espresso

Light-Medium Roaster Influence (House Filter Omni): We take the house filter profile a touch further than our traditional "light" style - but not quite tipping into the medium-level of intervention we go for in the espresso roasts.

Best Rested: 3+ Weeks

Filter: 62g/L, 94°C when fresh; 92°C when rested

Espresso: 18g/42g/28-32s

We're tasting: Sweet aromatics of brown sugar, dates and ground almonds. In the cup it's sweet and comforting - with milk chocolate and dried fruits (we find dried apple, fig and raisin; alongside a hint of dried peel) as the dominant notes. As it cools there's a distinct butterscotch note alongside a syrupy body, with a little more fresh fruit - like pear. Comfort flavours/Comfort Roast

Traceability

The Story

This washed lot from SIPRO hits the sweet spot for our house filter range - consistent, approachable quality with clear impact at origin. Amatenango de la Frontera sits right across from Huehuetenango, one of our favorite regions in Central America, sharing the same highland conditions. SIPRO (Sierra Productora de Cafe) formed when nine young producers decided to bypass local commodity buyers and work directly with specialty importers.

Raw Material and Red Beetle's work with SIPRO shows what's possible with remote quality development — even as security issues in the region prevent physical visits. When the partnership began, processing was based on speed and simplicity, producing lower quality cups and final value. Through visits, video calls and detailed feedback, that's shifted to a 1-2 day cherry rest followed by 2-4 days of tank fermentation. Each producer's lots are processed and assessed separately, with the strongest lots either separated (to be sold for higher returned value) or combined into group lots like this one.

Chiapas presents a stark contrast to coffee production in neighboring Oaxaca. While Oaxaca's producers balance coffee income with timber sales, Chiapas depends heavily on coffee - backed by established infrastructure and fertilizer distribution networks. It's Mexico's largest coffee-producing state, yet faces the country's highest poverty rates. Most producers work plots under one hectare, averaging just 100kg annual production.

This context drives our house filter selections. Instead of crazy acidity or aromatic profiles, we're looking for coffees where consistent quality meets meaningful impact. SIPRO's evolution - from quick processing and commodity sales to longer fermentation times and direct relationships - perfectly fits that brief.

The result is exactly what we want in a daily drinker: approachable quality that works across brewing methods while supporting producers building long-term sustainability. And if you want to add milk to it? Who are we to stop you ;)