Introduction to the History of Ecuador's Hacienda La Rica Coffee Region - Flavor Characteristics of Ecuadorian Coffee Beans

Ecuador, located between Colombia and Peru in South America, has a remarkably long history of coffee cultivation.

In fact, coffee plantations in Ecuador are generally small. Roughly 80% of coffee farmers hold plots smaller than 5 hectares, 13% hold between 5 and 10 hectares, and only 7% farm more than 10 hectares. According to statistics, of the country's approximately 300,000 hectares of cultivated land, 20% of coffee plantation land is illegally occupied.

Intag Valley

The western foothills of the Andes south of Guayaquil, along with the hilly coastal areas of Manabí Province, are famous for growing Arabica coffee beans. These beans offer a beautiful balance of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness.

Pichincha Province

Located in northwestern Ecuador, this area primarily cultivates Robusta coffee beans.

Galápagos Islands

Set in Ecuadorian waters directly beneath the equator, the Galápagos Islands are a mysterious and enchanting archipelago. Many unique species live on these islands and nowhere else on Earth. UNESCO has designated them a World Heritage Site for both cultural and natural significance.

Because of that, strict laws prohibit the import or use of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, or any other chemical products.

Loja Region

The Loja region of southern Ecuador, adjacent to the Andes, is one of the highest-altitude coffee-growing areas in the world, sitting at elevations of 1,450-2,000 meters. It is also an important coffee export city for the country. The main varieties are improved Typica cultivars, processed with the washed method and mostly grown under natural shade. The high altitude, climate variation, and soil quality are all exceptionally well suited to coffee, providing many excellent growing conditions.

Ecuadorian coffee beans get mixed reviews in the market — some are truly exceptional, while others are rather disappointing. FrontStreet Coffee recently introduced a Geisha variety from the Fuyao Estate in the Loja region, and its performance has been outstanding.

Fuyao Estate is a new plantation established in 2017, where the owner dedicated a specific plot to cultivating organic specialty coffee. The varieties currently grown there include Geisha, Wushwush, and SL28.

FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha undergoes anaerobic washed processing, which lets the coffee develop richer flavors through fermentation. The estate owner pays meticulous attention to controlling the anaerobic time, pH value, and temperature, aiming to build more complex flavors while preserving the essential Geisha character.

This particular coffee also placed fourth in the 2022 Ecuador Cup of Excellence with a score of 89.10.

FrontStreet Coffee uses a medium-light roast profile. The flavors revealed through cupping include chamomile, lemon, honeydew melon, and Longjing green tea.

Pour-over Recommendations

Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 90°C
Coffee Dose: 15 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: 80% passing a Chinese standard #20 sieve

First, pour 30 grams of hot water for a 30-second bloom. Then, starting from the center, pour with a fine stream in slow circles until you reach 125 grams. When the water level in the dripper drops to just above the coffee bed, continue pouring in circles until you reach 225 grams. Total extraction time should be approximately 2 minutes.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Colombia sits right next door to Ecuador, and it remains one of the most versatile origins you can keep on the shelf. FrontStreet Coffee's washed Huila is a great place to start: Huila, in the southern Central Cordillera, is the country's most famous specialty region, ringed by mountains with plantings above 1500 meters and Colombia's most important rivers converging there for abundant water and humidity. Medium-dark roasted, it leans into dark chocolate, nutty sweetness, moderate oils, and a rich, full body — as happy in a pour over or French press as it is pulled as espresso or brewed in a moka pot for an Americano or latte.

If you want to taste how modern processing has reshaped Colombian coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Sidra from Frontera Estate is anaerobically natural processed. Anaerobic fermentation — sometimes called carbonic maceration — is a low-oxygen or oxygen-free fermentation carried out in a pressure-resistant stainless steel tank, where temperature, time, and pH can be dialed in to steer the result. After the anaerobic ferment this coffee turns out more tropical fruit aromatics; medium-light roasted, it delivers passion fruit, grape, apricot, and candied fruit across pour over, cold brew, drip bags, and moka pot. And for anyone with a home espresso machine or moka pot, FrontStreet Coffee's signature house blend is built for cafés, marrying the creamy nuttiness of Brazil with the dark chocolate bittersweetness of Colombia, pulling a fine golden crema that's rich and smooth with milk, and forgiving enough for beginners as a base for Americanos, cappuccinos, and mochas.