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Mexico Chiapas Jaltenango Organic - Berclain Alvarado Gonzalez

Bright, strawberry, cherry, blackberry, caramel
TOP LOT
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Bag Weight 69 KG BAG
Harvest Season 2023/24
Status Spot
Lot Number P612361-3
  • Out of Stock Bag(s)
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About This Coffee

Berclain Alvarado Gonzalez has been a dedicated coffee grower for approximately 30 years, continuing a legacy passed down by his father. His farm, El Plan, was inherited from his father about ten years ago, and since then, Berclain has devoted himself to its maintenance and improvement. He has renovated the farm with rust-resistant coffee varieties, ensuring its productivity and health. The farm, which spans 20 hectares at an altitude of 1400 meters, produces Marsellesa and Bourbon varieties, among others. Berclain's commitment to his coffee plantation is evident in his meticulous care and the economic stability it has brought to his family. Activities such as shading and cleaning are carried out yearly, yielding positive results. For Berclain, coffee farming is not just a livelihood but a source of pride and fulfillment.

The coffee production process at El Plan is rigorous and systematic. Harvesting begins in December, with workers collecting only ripe cherries. The cherries are measured and transported to a pulper at Berclain's farm, where pulping takes place at night using a motorized pulper. The pulped coffee is then transferred to fermentation tanks for 12 to 14 hours. Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is washed two to three times to remove all mucilage before being spread out to dry. Due to the humid climate, drying takes about 8 days. The dried coffee is then packed in sacks and stored, ready for sale when market conditions are favorable. Berclain also roasts and grinds a portion of his coffee for local sale, generating additional income.

Country of Origin Mexico
Region Monte Cristo Guerrero, Chiapas
Producer Type Single Estate
Farm Name El Plan
Processing Washed
Processing Description Fermentation 12-14hrs, sun-dried on patios
Growing Altitude 1400m
Harvest Season 2023/24
Bag Weight 69 KG BAG
Bag Type Grain Pro / Ecotact
Plant Species Arabica
Variety Bourbon, Marsellesa
Certifications Organic Certified NOP

History of Coffee in Mexico

With seeds from the Caribbean, cultivation began in Veracruz, where custom house records indicate a few hundred bags of coffee were exported as early as 1802. But these exports were apparently anomalous because after 1805 coffee would not be exported again for twenty years, after the war of independence. Production did increase over this period, presumably for domestic trade and consumption. In 1817, a planter named Don Juan Antonio Gomez started “intensive cultivation” further south, where coffee thrived at high altitudes. By 1826 there were half a million trees in Cordoba and Mexican coffee was being exported.  In 1828, seeds—or possibly plants—from Arabia (Yemen) were planted in Uruapan, near the Pacific coast west of Mexico City, by Jose Mariano Michelena. Trees were brought from Guatemala to be planted in the southern state of Chiapas in 1847, and  Oaxaca would become the third largest producer of Mexican coffee by 1889.  

Growing Coffee in Mexico

Mexican coffee grows in 15 states throughout the southern half of the country but over 90% comes from four states: Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Puebla. Specialty coffee comes from the highlands of Veracruz on the gulf coast, the mountains of Oaxaca and Chiapas at the southern tip of Mexico. In Veracruz coffee grows from 1,100-1,660 m.a.s.l. In Chiapas coffee grows from 1,300-1,700 m.a.s.l. In Oaxaca coffee grows from 900-1,650 m.a.s.l. Coffee is grown by more than half a million farmers, 95% of these being smallholders cultivating less than three hectares and 85% of Mexico’s coffee farmers are indigenous Mexicans. Most Mexican coffee is grown under shade and Mexico is one of the world’s largest producers of certified organic coffee and Fair Trade coffee. Most Mexican coffee is Bourbon, Catura, Maragogype, or Mundo Novo, though other varieties can be found. Mexico grows almost no Robusta.  

  • Region Monte Cristo Guerrero, Chiapas
  • Farm Name El Plan
  • Producer Type Single Estate
  • Processing Washed
  • Processing Description Fermentation 12-14hrs, sun-dried on patios
  • Bag Type Grain Pro / Ecotact
  • Plant Species Arabica
  • Variety Bourbon, Marsellesa
  • Min Growing Altitude 1400m
  • On Sale No
  • Top Lot Yes
  • Status Spot
  • Certifications Organic Certified NOP
  • Coffee Grade MEX CA WA SHG
  • CTRM Contract Number P612361-3
  • Country of Origin Mexico
  • Warehouse Dupuy Houston