Coffee Club Vol. 72 A Whole New Mexico
Look at this Pluma isn't it neat, it would make my sourcing complete. Staying status quo on origins, regions, importers, and producer relationships has so many benefits and is part of our OG ethos of specialty coffee. Whether it's brewing, drinking, sourcing, or roasting, leaning on an importer, microregion, producer group, cultivar, or processing station we've worked with before and feel super comfortable with leads to a great end result. But something that keeps us inspired daily is taking a little risk on a new relationship beginning. So, what happens when one of our most passionate importing partners, Semilla, heads into an old-to-us and new-to-them region to begin sourcing coffees from new producer relationships there? We say 100%!!!!!!
This year, we're diving headfirst into two of our favourite microregions in Mexico, Oaxaca and Veracruz, with two new coffees and relationships! One, with producer partners Humberto Jose Alonso and Jaime Garcia Luis (Jaime and Humberto) and their Pluma (a Typica mutation) and Gesha blend and the IXHUATLÁN producer group and their field blend.
Semilla goes to Oaxaca 🇲🇽
Mexico has long been a favourite origin of Detour's and a mainstay year-to-year on both our single origin and seasonal blend menu. So when we found out our importing partner, Semilla was moving forward with their first shipment of coffees and working on a new project from Zapotec smallholders around the town of San Agustin Loxicha in Oaxaca's Sierra Sur, we knew we somehow needed to support and be involved.
Semilla's interest in working in Oaxaca stems from the fact that coffee growing demographics truly align with their ongoing sourcing priorities and ethos – an estimated 95% of all coffee farms are managed by Indigenous smallholders with under 5 hectares of land, meaning the opportunities to support and platform peripheral growers are widespread.
The relative isolation of the community of Loxicha, perched on the peak of the Sierra Sur at 1900masl, has made the sale of coffee cherries impractical. Instead, growers here have traditionally considered themselves pergamineros or "parchment workers," who have largely processed their coffee in what is referred to as conventional methods. This means that cherries are stripped from trees at any stage of ripeness, depulped the same day, and quickly dried for sale to intermediaries within days of picking.
After their first visit to the community in February 2025, they left with a mountain of samples, most of them labelled as conventional. However, as they tasted through these coffees, they were quickly struck by the sheer quality of these coffees even while managing with such minimal intervention in the post-harvest processing. The combination of altitude and heirloom varieties like Typica (referred to locally as Pluma) and Gesha resulted in clean, sweet, and fruited cups even if they were somewhat simple.
Behind all this is something that cannot be overlooked. All the growers in this region, and particularly those who deliver coffee to Semilla, manage their farms using all-organic, agroforestry systems. Following a regional trend that emerged in the 1990s, these growers rely on Bokashi fertilizers to create all-organic inputs for their coffee farms that are interplanted amongst towering shade trees. While you can't directly attribute coffee quality to this form of crop management, it is undoubtedly the case that these healthy, organic soils and the cool climate created by shade trees play a big part.
Amongst the growing group of producers that work here, there has been an increased interest in specialty processing, including a focus on selective picking, increased fermentations, and extended drying times. Some have taken the time to attend locally organized workshops on fermentation, but the majority are following very basic guidance. Semilla's goal here is very similar to other regions they have worked in. To continue working alongside the group by offering complementary cuppings with detailed feedback to further encourage the producers understanding and develop individualized recommendations for each grower on how to achieve the best results from their coffee.
The history of coffee production in Mexico is a fascinating one, filled with stories of smallholders organizing in pursuit of a better future. The hope is the Pergamineros project can be another in this storied history.
Jaime & Humberto's Pluma & Gesha
The Pluma coffee is a descendant of the first Typica trees that were planted in the 17th century, but due to Oaxaca's microclimate and rich volcanic soil, it evolved to what is today known as the Pluma de Hidalgo variety in the region. In Mexico, this is even recognized as an official designation of origin. So, what happens when this Typica (the OG variety from Ethiopia) mutation called Pluma de Hidalgo is blended with another Gesha lot from a partner producer's farm! A thing of beauty!!
These two coffee farmers Jaime and Humberto, from the Oaxaca region have joined forces by blending their Pluma and Gesha coffees together to not only make logistics easier and more efficient and insure a higher price for their high quality and unique lot but this two varietal blend is also incredibly good in terms of the cup profile.
The cherries are harvested at their peak ripeness and placed in sealed plastic bags or wooden tubs for an initial fermentation period of 24 to 36 hours, depending on the climate. After fermentation, the cherries are pulped and washed. Humberto dries his coffee on a patio for three to four days, with two days of drying in direct sunlight and the remaining two days covered with mesh. Meanwhile, Jaime dries his coffee on raised mesh beds in the shade for eight days.
The Ixhuatlán Community Group
The field blend community lot from the Ixhuatlán Community represents a collaborative endeavor among numerous smallholder farmers, each managing less than 1 hectare of land at elevations ranging from 800 to 1900 meters within the Ixhuatlán del Café microregion of Veracruz. These farmers are organized under the Cooperativa Alere & Abuntia, a coffee producer cooperative.
In this microregion, the predominant practice involves selling coffee cherries to large-scale buyers, which perpetuates an inequitable exchange and inadequate compensation for smallholder producers. The influence of industry giants such as Nespresso and its parent company, Nestlé, exacerbates the economic hardships faced by these farmers. In response, specialty importers like Semilla have emerged to forge equitable partnerships with local producers, advocating for fairer compensation and better market access.
The cooperative was formed as a startup through the Value Chain Program (CADECAF), initiated by Cafecol. This pioneering program, established in 2011, was designed to provide training in specialty coffee processing and commercialization to local producers. In 2019, the Alere & Abuntia cooperative officially launched the "Café Cooperativo MX" initiative, which prioritizes quality, traceability, and transparency—principles that align closely with the missions of both Semilla and Detour.
Historically, coffee in this region has been primarily sold as cherries. Nonetheless, producers have diverse options for intermediary buyers, including Amsa (ECOM), Cafés California (Newmann), and other substantial local entities. In this competitive landscape, Nespresso also operates a coffee cluster within the municipality. Market competition intensifies particularly during the harvest season when supply diminishes, allowing producers to secure more favourable prices. The infrastructure improvements in transportation, security, and road conditions have also enhanced the community's connectivity to larger urban centers.
The smallholder farmers within this network predominantly cultivate between 0.5 and 1 hectare of land in Matlaquiahuitl, a community within Ixhuatlán del Café municipality. The area is vehicle-accessible, with the nearest significant urban center, Ixhuatlán, located approximately 40 minutes away.
Cooperativa Alere & Abuntia, S.C. de R.L. was established as a startup stemming from the Value Chain Program (CADECAF) led by Cafecol, A.C., as part of a Regional Funds project from the National Council of Science and Technology, in conjunction with entities such as INECOL, INIFAP, CIIDTAC, and FUNTEC. CADECAF notably pioneered training programs for producers focused on specialty coffee, producing its first parchment coffee volumes in 2011, which were subsequently linked to the national market, satisfying the quality and pricing criteria demanded by emerging specialty coffee retailers.
Café Cooperativo MX features a foundational network of 37 producer members, all of whom have been actively engaged since 2011, along with new entrants joining annually. The initiative currently collaborates with 80 to 150 coffee-producing families aiming for alternative market avenues. The cooperative has successfully built a network of domestic and international buyers, exporting coffees to countries such as Canada, Dubai, Japan, and Italy.
This strong producer loyalty is rooted in enduring relationships, mutual trust, and annual commitment to the cooperative ethos. Café Cooperativo MX strives to connect with roasters interested in establishing long-term partnerships with coffee-producing communities, focusing on sustainable development over mere transactional relationships. The producers have received comprehensive training through workshops, meetings, and assemblies, aligning their production and growth strategies with agroecological principles.
Processing
The process typically involves harvesting fully ripe cherries, which are then left to rest for approximately 48 hours before depulping. Fermentation in mucilage lasts over 24 hours, depending on daily temperature conditions. After fermentation, the coffee is washed (no more than twice, as recommended) and sun-dried on patios. Drying times can vary from 5 to more than 12 days, depending on the climate. This region is cold and humid, especially during the harvest season from December to April.
Roasting The Coffees
Mexico, Jaime and Humberto Maple Syrup, Marzipan, Clementine
Grown by small-scale producers Humberto Jose Alonso and Jaime Garcia Luis on their 5 hectare farms at 1725 MASL in the San Agustin Loxicha, in Oaxaca, Mexico, this cultivar blend of Pluma and Gesha variety has beautiful gesha-like aromatics with intertwining floral and sweet notes of orange blossom. Once brewed, round and delicate flavours reminiscent of clementine and marzipan dominate the cup, complemented by a smooth, delicate maple syrup-like finish.
Mexico, IXHUATLÁN Red Apple, Almond Butter, Puff Pastry
Grown by the Ixhuatlan smallholder producers made up of Fidel Flores Galan, Alfonso Vazquez Gomez, Pablo Chama Ramos, Jose Fco. Agripino Chama Chavez, Victorino Chama, Martiniano Ramos Flores, Hector Chama Huerta, Timoteo Vazquez Martinez, Maria Gregoria Chama Chavez, and Lucia Vazquez Reyes. This field blend from the Veracruz region in Mexico feels subtly sweet, elegant and round. Lightly fruity aromas with a hint of stone fruit lead to a deep rich profile with flavours of cacao, red apple, and a rich almond butter like sweetness. As it cools, there’s a smooth and comforting chocolate puff pastry finish.
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