La Papaya is a terrific example of the Typica varietal, the same DNA as the first coffee discovered wild in Ethiopia centuries ago. After two trips to Ecuador a few years ago all we heard talk about was "La Papaya" and how hard his coffee is to get. The farm, in the mountainous south of the country in Loja Province near Cuenca, is relatively new to coffee farming, yet has made an immediate reputation.

This preparation is really unique and innovative. Coffee cherries are fermented in barrels that held rum for 20 years. During the five days spent in barrel, some nuances of oak and rum mingle with the coffee, producing an extremely complex coffee with notes of vanilla, raisin, tamarind and passion fruit. Very sweet and interesting Natural processed coffee.