Clifton Coffee - Mexico: Hacienda Santa Rosa

Its rare to find a Mexican coffee that gets us all genuinely excited in the roastery but this Cup of Excellence winning microlot from ‘La Hacienda Santa Rosa’ in Veracruz was an absolute winner on the cupping table.

Owned by Olivia Herna´ndez Virues & her husband Ranulfo Lara Pe´rez, this 115 hectare farm produces fabulous washed & honey processed Typica, Bourbon, Mondo Novo, Caturra & Costa Rica as well as recently introduced rust resistant varietals such as Marsellesa and Oro Azteca that are full of vibrant & juicy tropical fruit flavours, bright acidity & syrupy toffee-like mouthfeel.

The goal of the Santa Rosa Teocelo team is to survive the adverse conditions confronting the coffee sector today so that they can continue to be a place of refuge for the biological diversity of the region and continue contributing to the regional economy whislt continuing to develop their coffee quality within the specialty sector.

In order to achieve these aims, the owners of Santa Rosa are constantly innovating & reinvesting in order to provide a sustainable revenue streams as well as education for both staff (pickers) and visitors/locals alike.They also grow and sell lemons, oranges & pepper to in the local markets, they’ve established a small roastery to serve the local community & they have built a small eco-hotel & restaurant next to the farm for visitors to be able to spend more time on the farm itself.

We loved this coffee the moment we first cupped it, so much so that all of us in the roastery mistook it for a Kenyan! Think lemon, blackcurrants, hints of tropical fruit, shortbread & light brown sugar. Stunning both as filter and espresso & exceptional value for a coffee of this quality.