This is the working notebook behind our Ecuador Origins Guide — a place to track the producers, projects, and processing choices that justify putting a rare, higher-cost origin on the table with confidence.
Ecuador specialty is driven by a small group of committed smallholders, estates, and regional projects. This hub is designed to hold those names as your relationships grow — proof that each bag is tied to real decisions on real farms.
Near Quito and across the northern Andes, small farms at serious elevation produce dense, expressive coffees. We focus on partners who control picking, fermentation, and drying tightly enough to let Typica Mejorado and other varieties speak clearly.
Loja has long carried Ecuador’s quality reputation. We look for groups investing in calibrated washed processing, realistic premiums, and varietal separation that turns “Loja” from a label into a reliable sensory anchor.
On the Amazon-facing slopes and in developing regions, we watch for projects that pair biodiversity with disciplined processing. Any lots we highlight from here must show both environmental sense and cup stability.
Ecuador isn’t a volume origin for us; it’s a precision origin. Every lot has to justify its shelf space and price point with character, story, and reliability.
Clean citrus, florals, stone fruit, and panela sweetness in a focused, high-clarity cup. This is the Ecuador that explains why the origin matters.
Role: Seasonal feature that leads with transparency and terroir.
Paired with a core origin (e.g., Colombia or Costa Rica) to highlight differences in altitude, cost structure, and processing while staying approachable.
Role: Brew bar flights, club sets, wholesale education.
Extended fermentations or novel methods only when they are clean, repeatable, and fully documented. Flavor should feel intentional, not accidental.
Role: Very limited drops that strengthen, not dilute, trust.
Ecuador is over-represented in “wild” processing headlines and under-represented in quietly excellent washed coffees. Our approach reverses that emphasis.
The goal is to show Ecuador as a serious origin — not a novelty shelf. Process should polish terroir, not hide it.
Ecuador is one of the higher-cost places to produce and export coffee. That reality should show up in both the FOB price and the way we talk about the coffee.
As you add specific Ecuador offerings, this page becomes the place to record those commitments so guests and wholesale partners can see the reasoning, not just the result.
Ecuador lots tend to be dense, expressive, and limited. Treat them like you respect both the work and the price — with recipes built for clarity, sweetness, and repeatability.
Lean into articulation.
For focused, modern shots.
Use scarcity as a feature, not a gimmick.
For concrete brew specs per release, direct guests to Bert’s Coffee Brew Guide.
Last updated: November 8, 2025