Mexico Chiapas Yajalon Green Coffee Beans

At 900 to 1,000 masl, this lot is less dense than the high-grown Central American coffees most roasters are used to, so it moves through the roast faster and reaches first crack sooner. Go easier on the heat through the early stages than you would with a 1,500-plus masl bean — pushing too hard risks scorching the surface before the inside catches up, which flattens the citrus brightness this lot is built around.

Yajalón sits in the central highlands of Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost and largest coffee-producing state, bordering Guatemala. Compared to Chiapas's higher-elevation zones, Yajalón's 900 to 1,000 metre growing band produces cherries that mature faster and yield a brighter, more citrus-forward cup. This lot is grown across a traditional mixed planting of Catimor, Caturra, Bourbon, Catuai, and Tipica — a varietal diversity typical of smallholder Mexican coffee farms, where multiple cultivars are grown side by side rather than a single variety.

Washed processing removes both the skin and the mucilage before drying, giving a clean, direct read on the coffee's growing conditions. Here that translates to citrus zest and a distinctive piquant edge — a lively, almost peppery brightness associated with Chiapas washed coffees — balanced by raisin sweetness and a medium, well-rounded body that keeps the cup from tipping into thin or sharp territory.

Graded HG EP — Hard Bean, European Preparation — and cupping at SCA 86, this lot performs well above typical commercial-grade coffee from the region. Chiapas is Mexico's largest coffee-growing state by volume and one of the world's best-known sources of smallholder and certified organic coffee, though this particular lot carries no organic certification — it competes on cup quality and cupping score rather than certification.

What does it mean that this lot is grown across five varieties?

Many smallholder Mexican coffee farms, including those around Yajalón, plant multiple Arabica varieties side by side rather than a single cultivar. This Catimor, Caturra, Bourbon, Catuai, and Tipica mix spreads agronomic risk — some varieties resist disease or drought better than others — and builds cup complexity, since each variety contributes a slightly different structure and flavour to the blended harvest. It reflects a traditional mixed-planting approach rather than a single-variety microlot.

Does growing at 900 to 1,000 metres mean lower quality than higher-altitude coffee?

Altitude shapes flavour character more than it determines quality outright. Higher-altitude cherries mature more slowly and often build denser structure and more layered acidity; lower-altitude cherries like this lot mature faster and tend to produce a brighter, more direct citrus character with a rounder body. This lot's SCA 86 cupping score confirms it performs at a high specialty level — altitude is one input among several, alongside variety, processing, and farm management.

What does "HG EP — SCA 86" mean on the label?

HG EP stands for Hard Bean, European Preparation. Hard Bean refers to bean density, European Preparation means the green coffee has been sorted to a tighter defect tolerance than standard export-grade prep. SCA 86 is the cupping score assigned under Specialty Coffee Association protocol — anything 80 and above qualifies as specialty grade, so this lot sits comfortably above that threshold.

How should I store this green coffee?

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct light and moisture. Green coffee is stable for 12 to 18 months in correct storage conditions. We ship all our green coffee in 9 layer hermetic Ecotact bags to preserve moisture content and the aromatic character of this lot between roasting sessions.