Ultra-rare Anaerobic Natural Mokka variety

We are so excited to serve up the rare and coveted, Colombia La Pradera Mokka. Handpicked in its optimal point of ripeness by the elite team from Hacienda La Pradera, this coffee is very special to us. By maintaining a committed partnership with the team at La Pradera over the last couple years, we have had the honor of purchasing their entire production (22 pounds) of Mokka this year to share with all of you! When you hear the term “Mokka”, it is understandable that you may be thinking about the espresso based drink with chocolate and milk. The origin of coffee is filled with many mystical stories- who first stumbled upon it, who was producing it, how it spread worldwide. When we say “Mokka”, we are referring to the Mokka variety- 1 of over 100 species of varieties all over the world. This variety is said to have originated in Yemen from the port town of Al-Makha. Naturally, when people realized the potential of coffee, production increased worldwide. Al-Makha today has been invaded by sand dunes that have eliminated the port.

Today, the rare and extremely difficult to produce Mokka variety can be found in some of the most elite coffee producers in the world. Hacienda La Pradera in Santander, Colombia produced 22 pounds of this adorable, lentil-sized coffee variety anaerobically fermenting it before packing it up on a plane and flying it over to us. Mokka goes through an Anaerobic Natural process, which creates the complexity of flavors in the cup. The three most common methods for processing coffee are washed, natural, and honey. “Process," refers to the removal of the layers of fruit on a coffee cherry. The layers consist of: the outer skin (pulp), mucilage, parchment, and silverskin. There are several ways to remove the layers, and as more research and experimentation goes into specialty coffee, many unique processes come out. One of which is the anaerobic process; an anaerobic fermentation process is where the vessels in which the coffee cherries are fermented do not contain any oxygen at all. Normally, coffee would be fermented in open air environments such as patios or raised beds. La Pradera puts the Mokka through a 60 hour fermentation process- once completed the coffee cherries are taken to raised beds for their slow natural drying process where they dry for approximately 25 days until reaching 11% humidity and then carefully stored in grainpro bags to preserve its quality. The natural part comes in when the cherries are dried on raised beds, still with the fruit attached. All of this work is to highlight the sweetness and the intricacies of the bean making for a complex cup profile.

Let's talk about the taste! The fermentation process helps create a fudge brownie/chocolate liqueur aroma, followed by a full bodied black tea flavor with notes of fresh mango, clementine and nougat. As the coffee cools down, the body gets heavier, creating a jammy texture and a crisp finish reminiscent of white wine. We put this juicy coffee at a whopping 5 drops on our vibrancy scale, so take a seat and savor the cup as it moves from hot to cool.

Approaching the variety with a lighter roast profile helps accentuate the complexities of the coffee beans. The body lands at drop 5 on our new limited release label, meaning that the coffee will rest in your mouth, saturating every part with silky goodness. The body of the coffee creates an apricot jam texture that lasts to the very last drop.

We find so much joy in being able to partner with teams such as La Pradera, to bring sustainable, organic specialty coffee to wherever you are. Working with high-trust importers like Ally Coffee Importers who make getting coffees like this to us in the States. A massive thank you to Dean, Elena, Liliana, Mildred, Oscar, and the teams of people throughout the supply chain who made it possible for us to serve you this gem. Maintaining high-trust partnerships along with only sourcing organic coffee is something we will always do. We hope you enjoy this limited coffee as much as we do.