Flavor Profile- An exceptionally bright coffee with notes of strawberry and caramel and a smooth finish.

Roast- Medium

Region- Tandayapa Valley

Farm- Tambo Quinde

Elevation- 1800 meters

Process- Fully Washed

Variety- Caturra

More about this Coffee

This bright, aromatic coffee is unique in a few different ways. First, it’s grown right on the equator at an ideal 1800 meters above sea level (6000 feet) in the mega bio-diverse Tandayapa Valley, a micro-region in and around the upper elevations of our reforestation areas planted by the Mindo Cloudforest Foundation. Really, closest to our hearts, the people in this area were the key members in the genesis of the foundation. Second, this coffee is setting a precedent in sustainable agriculture. Cloud Coffees is leveraging interdependent agro-forestry systems to buffer and restore cloud forest habitat. This means as this edible and productive forest is growing, the different elements complement each other, including the shade that coffee needs to mature and develop its complex flavor profile. Third, all of the land that Cloud Coffees is growing coffee on was previously clear-cut, stripped of its natural vegetation, and replanted with non-native grasses for slash-and-burn beef and dairy agriculture. 

Non-native grass species strip the soil of nutrients and are not viable long-term in this part of the Andes for a couple simple reasons. The hills are steep, and the cows have skinny-feet (a free pound of coffee for the first person who emails us with the reference) adding their mechanical damage to the rain's erosive power. By planting coffee along with native and other complimentary agro-forestry species, Cloud Coffees is helping restore the soil and providing habitat for birds and other creatures (e.g. sloths and spectacled bears) of the cloud forest. 

Cloud Coffees has their wet-mill or beneficio at the Alambi Nature Reserve, not far from MCF's Milpe Bird Sanctuary, and both are open to the public for tours and coffee tasting. If you're in Ecuador, it's a fantastic way to spend the day hiking, birding, and learning about sustainable coffee (contact us for more information).

By growing coffee using agroforestry, Cloud Coffees is not only helping the environment, but also bolstering the local economy and creating sustainable jobs within their community. Their cause is noble, but they are in the beginning stages of development and the certifications that we typically look for, such as organic and Fair Trade, aren’t yet in place. Over the coming seasons, Cloud Coffees is going to document and blog about their journey to becoming fully organic. It will be both a learning and interesting experience for all involved. 

Cloud Coffees is an important friend of Tiny Footprint. We seek sustainability in every aspect of our business and are always looking to collaborate with like-minded people. Cloud Coffees is taking important strides for sustainability in coffee and we’re happy to support them. 

Follow their story on Facebook, and learn more about them on their website, cloudcoffees.com.

-All 1 pound orders packaged in compostable kraft paper bags (100% compostable after label removal), learn more at our blog.