Quick Facts
Producer: Members of the GRAPOS cooperative (Grupo de Agricultores Positivos S.P.R. de R.L.)
Country: Mexico
Region: Siltepec, Chiapas
Elevation: 1,200 - 1,600 m.a.s.l
Varieties: Marsellesa, Bourbon, Typica ------ (and a small percentage of other varieties.)
Harvest: December - April
Process: Washed
Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic
Overview
This community blend comes from the GRAPOS cooperative producers of Siltepec, Chiapas. After harvest and processing, producers' coffees are kept separate and are tested multiple times for cup quality and physical characteristics. High-quality lots are blended to make this selection which exemplifies the characteristics of this area of Chiapas.
The GRAPOS Cooperative
GRAPOS was established in 2007 in an effort to promote certified coffees, allowing growers in the area a competitive advantage in international markets. The organization has grown from its initial 90 producers to over 2,700 today, and continues to expand, with collection centers in eight areas: Angel Díaz, Honduras, Llano Grande, El Porvenir, Vega del Rosario, Tapachula, Guatimoc, and Chicomuselo.
Cari Coffee
The coffees from GRAPOS are exported by Cari Coffee, which was officially established in 2020. Cari is the specialty coffee division of Agroindustrias Unidas de México S.A de C.V. (AMSA) and a member of the ECOM Coffee Group. Cari's team of agronomists, cuppers, and traders is dedicated to finding the best customer for each coffee they produce and creating long-lasting relationships.
It is Cari Coffee and the team at AMSA that rigorously put the coffees through multiple quality control filters and testing- to make sure that every lot represents the best from the communities representing.
Flavor Notes
Cacao Nibs, Black Tea, Tropical Fruit
Processing Info
Washed
Each member of GRAPOS is processing coffee in small batches throughout the coffee harvest season on their own farms. Once coffee cherries are picked from the farm, they are pulped that day and fermented for roughly 24 hours. After fermentation the coffee is washed, and then is generally dried on patios.
Regional Info
Chiapas, Mexico
Mexico’s rich biodiversity makes it an ideal place for coffee production. Chiapas is recognized as one of the main producing states of “café de altura” thanks to its altitude and quality of its coffee.
The state of Chiapas is located in the South of Mexico. It is one of the five Mayan states, with great archaeological, cultural, and natural wealth, concentrated in a territory of 73,289 square kilometers. It represents 3.8% of the country’s surface area and borders the state of Tabasco to the north, the Republic of Guatemala to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the south, and the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz to the west.
Credits:
Photos courtesy of Cari Coffee