La Union

Farms in Oaxaca, Mexico tend to be small in size, allowing producers to personally oversee the harvesting and processing. This hands-on approach has empowered quality-focused producers to transition from anonymity to selling micro-lots, adding value to their coffee and gaining recognition for their efforts.

Typica was historically one of the most important Arabica varieties in Oaxaca.   At its best Typica is one of the most refined and balanced Arabicas.  It has a bright structured acidity and common flavour descriptors are candied citrus, delicate florals, bergamot, and a honeyed, nougat like sweetness.  Despite lower productivity, Typica proves advantageous for quality-focused producers, adding value over and above poorer quality high yielding cultivars.  This is very much the case La Union, owned by Alicia Morale who grows only Typica on her small 1-hectare smallholding.

Coffee smallholdings are a shared family effort and all of Alicia’s family each take a role on this cloud forest farm.  Her husband and two children all join in the harvest, while responsibility for the washing, fermenting and drying of the coffee rests with Alicia and her daughter.

The care and attention given to the harvest shines through in La Union, a warming, accessible coffee brimming with nuance. Rounded milk chocolate forms a rich foundation, over which ripe cranberry, dried fruit, and roasted nut marry. Yellow fruit and maple syrup bring subtle depth, while zesty grapefruit provides structural brightness. An inviting syrupy texture carries these layers, creating a clean, comforting flavour profile.  Light-roasted to preserve its delicate complexity, it's an approachable yet sophisticated companion for filter, aeropress, or French press brewing.