Ecuador
Los Planes
Bracaromos Auction #1

This delicious washed process Typica was the #1 rated coffee at the local Bracaromos auction. We taste fresh plum, cacao, and violet

Washed process Typica

Flavour: plum, cacao, peach flower

Body: Acidity:

Roast: omni (filter + espresso)

Irma Tocto owns a 10-hectare farm called Los Planes, a farm of around 6,000 coffee trees.

This coffee was the number 1 rated lot in the locally hosted Bracaromos auction, held between two fair trade organic cooperatives in an effort to highlight the potential return and benefit of high-quality microlots, while showcasing the producers of the cooperatives.

For a long time, most of Ecuador’s coffee production was for commodity-grade export or the production of freeze-dried coffee–it’s only recently that the potential of the country’s coffee production has been really explored.

A northern border with Colombia and a southern with Peru means Ecuador shares an ideal climate and geography for high-quality coffee production. The country’s elevation ranges from sea level all the way up to over 2,000 meters, which represents a great level of variance in both terrain and climate.

The lot was picked ripe and depulped the same day, before being fermented underwater for 17 hours and then set to dry on raised beds for 15 days.

Learn everything about this coffee:

Ethical, traceable sourcing

This page has all the sourcing information (variety, process, region, story, importer, and more) that our importers share with us, and give us permission to use.

The transparency helps us talk confidently about the quality and background of our product, and it helps you know exactly what you’re buying.

Learn more:
Coffee page transparency legend
Our coffee philosophy
Our business approach

Fresh harvest coffee

We only source and roast coffee from each country’s latest harvest season (so the green coffee is never older than 1 year from the time of picking, processing and packing). This ensures the sensory qualities are always at their peak and unaffected by excessive ageing.

Roasted for espresso and filter (best enjoyed black)

Roast style: omni. Omni roasts are designed to brew and taste great both as espresso and filter. Our omni single origins generally sit on Agtron values in the ~70-60 value range. So, technically, they are somewhere in the lighter side of the medium spectrum.

Designed for espresso and filter brewing. Best enjoyed black.

Learn more:
Our Loring Kestrel S35 roaster
Our roasting style and approach

Best brewed within days 15-49 post-roast

The ‘fresh is best’ saying doesn’t apply to coffee (contrary to popular belief). Waiting before opening and brewing your bag of whole coffee beans helps develop peak flavour and acidity.

But heads up: if you buy pre-ground coffee, brew it as soon as possible.

Learn more:
Our recommended brewing window

Try our custom brewing recipes

Our recipes and ratios are tailored to our coffee sourcing and roasting styles, bringing the best flavour and feel out of each coffee.

For pour over, immersion, and other filter brewing styles, check our brew guides.
For our espresso single origins, we recommend a coffee:yield ratio of 1:3:

Dose: 20g ground coffee
Yield: 60g espresso
Total brew time: ~24-28 seconds

This is just a starting point! We encourage you to experiment, taste, and adjust to find the recipe that you enjoy the most.

Learn more:
Our espresso brew guide (single origin)
Brewing ratio calculator

Packaging and sustainability

Bags: ABA-certified home compostable (AS 5810-2010)
Labels: recyclable
Valves (only on +250g bags): general waste
Box and tape (online orders): recyclable

Learn more:
Our packaging

Producer: Irma Tocto
Country: Ecuador
Region: Palanda, Zamora Sur
Altitude: 1450m above sea level
Variety: Typica
Process: washed
Importer: Cafe Imports
Body
Acidity
Tasting notes: Plum, cacao, peach flower
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Variety

Typica variety

Considered to be one of the ‘genus’ varietals from which all other varietals have mutated from

The location

Coffee from Ecuador

For a long time most of Ecuador’s coffee production was for commodity grade export or the production of soluble coffees (freeze dried coffee). Only in the last few years has the potential of the country’s coffee production been really explored. We’re very excited about the potential Ecuador and have some truly exceptional coffees

The Zamora Chinchipe region of Ecuador

The region sits east of Loja with high rates of organic production

Farm processes

Washed process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.