Paraje Los Machos is an association of 180 coffee growing families split across three towns on the temperate mountain range of Sierra Juarez, north of Oaxaca City. The majority of association members are of Zapotec heritage and, therefore, only speak Spanish as a second language. These historical ties to the region bring a massive sense of community to the area, that is also present during the coffee harvest. Rather than employing coffee pickers, locals from the town all chip in together in return for lunch and the promise of help when it comes time for their cherries to be harvested.
The association is led by Romulo Chavez, who has been working for years to build direct relationships with coffee buyers, in order to obtain higher prices for the growers of Los Machos.
We buy all of our Mexican lots from Raw Material, a coffee importer with the task of trying to improve conditions of coffee growers at each of the origins they work with at the heart of their buying philosophy. As a Community Interest Company, they send all profits back to the growing communities they work with. We absolutely love their coffees!!!
The Paraje Los Machos lot is perfect for winter, with a toffee-apple sweet and fruity flavour, deep brazil nuts and a smooth, silky finish. Whether as a delicate pour over or as a creamy, smooth flat white, this coffee will help to keep the cold out!
Our Brew Recipe:
Kalita Wave 155, 15g coffee to 250g water at 94°, 30 second bloom with 50g water, fast pour 100g, 5 second pause, moderate pour to 200g, 5 second pause, slow pour to 250g with a final brew time of 2:40. Grind size medium-coarse (roughly 29 clicks on Comandante).
All photos © Raw Material 2021