LA PAPAYA

Perched high in the Andean range of southern Ecuador, Hacienda La Papaya is the origin that defined modern Ecuadorian specialty coffee.
Under the vision of Juan Peña, this farm became both a field and a laboratory — a place where science, craftsmanship, and terroir meet to produce coffees of international acclaim.

The landscape here is striking: steep volcanic slopes, thin mountain air, and a clear horizon that stretches toward the Pacific. Every element of the environment contributes to flavor — altitude sharpens the acidity, sunlight drives sugar formation, and cold mountain nights preserve aromatic compounds that define the coffee’s elegance.

At nearly two thousand meters above sea level, the farm basks in twelve steady hours of equatorial daylight. This consistency gives plants a natural rhythm for photosynthesis and sugar accumulation. Warm days (20–30°C) and cool nights (15–20°C) extend the cherry maturation cycle, concentrating sweetness while allowing complex acids to develop.

The result is a coffee of exceptional balance — bright yet rounded, structured yet soft, a profile that roasters describe as luminous in the cup.

At Hacienda La Papaya, under the direction of Juan Peña, this coffee is more than a cultivar; it is a symbol of Ecuadorian precision, genetic intrigue, and timeless sweetness.
Born from the marriage of classic Typica lineage and Ethiopian landrace genetics, Typica Mejorado carries a dual heritage — the elegance and balance of traditional Typica, infused with the vivid floral and fruit complexity of Ethiopia’s ancient varieties.

This genetic combination produces a coffee that is unmistakably clean, deeply sweet, and endlessly expressive.

Behind Typica Mejorado’s natural grace lies a rigorously engineered process.
Using "Integrated Coffee Pulse”, a proprietary monitoring system developed by Juan Peña, every farm tracks its soil nutrition, moisture, and environmental data in real time.
This precision ensures: optimal fertilization tailored to each lot, uniform cherry maturation across elevations, stable moisture content and bean density for predictable roasting.

Once the cherries are hand-selected and pulped, the parchment coffee undergoes a
15-hour controlled washing in pure Andean spring water.
This stage is carefully supervised to ensure removal of microbial activity and complete removal of mucilage.

Drying takes place over 11 days in solar drying rooms equipped with temperature and humidity sensors. These sensors, part of the “Integrated Coffee Pulse” drying control program, continuously record data at multiple heights and automatically regulate airflow through the fan and window control system.
By maintaining precise drying curves and stable environmental conditions, the coffee reaches a final moisture content of 10–12% preserving its aromatic complexity and extending its shelf life.