La Joya Mexico

We are so excited to bring in coffees from Mexico for the first time, from none other than Samuel and Gloria Ronzon from La Joya.

Samuel is a third-generation coffee producer based in Veracruz, Mexico. He and his wife Gloria started La Joya micro-mill with the focus on producing intentionally fermented specialty coffees, using fermentation as a vehicle to drive flavour in the cup.

Microbeneficio La Joya is located in the High Mountains region in central Veracruz, in the municipality of Ixhuacán de los Reyes. Covering a total area of 30 hectares, it has an average elevation of 1,420 meters above sea level. Its position in the northern part of the continent at the 19th parallel results in a temperate climate with an average temperature of 17°C and an annual rainfall of 1,650 millimeters.

The farm currently grows up to 20 varieties of coffee, including native varietals and varietals originating from other countries that have thrived in their climate, like this lot of Pink Gesha. Furthermore, around 43% of the farm is home to a diverse range of fruit and timber trees that provide shade and ensure better microclimatic conditions for the coffee trees to thrive.

At Microbeneficio La Joya, Samuel and his team are always looking for innovative ways to push the quality of his coffees even further. After a successful experimentation on a particular processing method, the methods that are able to be standardized and replicated consistently across lots are classifed as “Gem” protocols. The “Jade Imperial” process that this Pink Gesha underwent is one of such protocols. For pre-Hispanic cultures in Mexico, Jade was the stone of creation, signifying life, fertility and power. For La Joya, this process begins with a careful selection of coffee cherries, which is then exposed to a fermentation-oxidation process between 100 and 120 hours. This allows the diversity of microorganisms characteristic of the terroir to develop within each nano-lot. After which, the coffee is dried on african beds for up to 40 days.