Mexico NKG Bloom El Dragon Anaerobic Natural is grown in Villacorzo, Chiapas. An interesting microclimate occurs here, where the edges of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas Mountain range and the Central Depression meet. The land lies in the rain shadow of the mountains, creating a seasonally dry climate with lower levels of humidity than the surrounding highland and lowland areas. Most of the rainfall occurs in the summer, dramatically changing the appearance of these low-canopied tropical deciduous dry forests. The Bourbon and Caturra trees that produce El Dragon Anaerobic Natural grow here.
Mr. Victor Ruiz, a second-generation coffee producer, has been developing and refining El Dragon for the past three years. Initially, he experimented with only one quintal, but he has since grown the project to three hectares, totaling 50 bags.
Mexico NKG Bloom Dragon Anaerobic Natural is handpicked when the cherry is almost purple. The cherry is sorted carefully by hand and subsequently processed using natural anaerobic fermentation. (Anaerobic fermentation is simply fermentation that occurs in an oxygen-free environment. The cherry is sealed in barrels void of oxygen for 10 days. This creates a pressurized environment for the naturally occurring yeasts to metabolize the fruit, which imparts unique winey and fruity flavors, as well as an ultimately full and silky body, to the coffee seeds within the fruit.) When the fermentation is complete, the coffee is then dried on patios or raised beds until it reaches a uniform 12 percent humidity.
Don Victor participates in NKG Bloom, our sustainable sourcing initiative.
El Dragon
The axolotl, known in Mexico as the water monster, is a captivating native amphibian (native specifically the Xochimilco lake). It is unique among salamanders in that it remains aquatic over the entirety of its lifecycle, never metamorphosing to take to the land like other species. As a result, it retains its strangely adorable paedomorphic features into adulthood. The axolotl has intrigued humans since the Mexica (Aztec) civilization, preserving its allure as an exotic and mysterious creature to this day.
Exportadora de Café California (ECC) chose this creature as a symbol for their foray into experimental processing. Additionally, they chose to picture the water dragon in space, a playful nod to the creation of a flavor experience that is out of this world!
Cupping notes: Cacao, tropical fruit, raspberry; winey acidity, silky body.
