Ensambles - Mexico

Ensambles Cafés Mexicanos are market leaders for Mexican coffee, connecting the work of Mexican producers with that of worldwide roasters. Since 2017 they have been building and nurturing a network of Mexican farmers and other supply chain allies that aims to provide prosperity to all everyone involved. They have an unwavering commitment to quality, sustainability, equity and social welfare. Their coffees originate from shade-grown plantations, which promote biodiversity, soil and water conservation, and environmental protection. They also strive for the well-being of the communities and families working in these beautiful productive landscapes.

Throughout the year, a team of professionals from the Bios Terra Institute, mostly women, interacts with their network of producers through farm visits, workshops, and field training. In each state, they have a permanent field technician, some of whom are native to the communities, facilitating communication with coffee farmers, many of whom speak indigenous languages. Through on-field education, they provide producers with the knowledge to improve their agronomic practices, increase their yields, develop post-harvest management tools (wet processing), and adopt environmentally responsible production systems.

During the harvest season, Ensambles’ quality control team, along with field coordinators, travel with mobile laboratories to coffee-growing communities to analyse samples, provide personalised feedback to each producer, and facilitate direct purchases. This allows them to offer complete traceability to buyers like us by assembling lots based on similar characteristics (moisture content, water activity, physical defects, terroir, sensory analysis, etc.) according to their quality. They run their own dry mill for microlots where the milling and classification take place, located in Coatepec, Veracruz.

Tejao

State: Oaxaca
Varietal: Typica and Bourbon
Elevation: 1.500 - 1,600 masl
Processing method: Washed 

The majestic Mazateca mountain range, peaking above 2000 masl, gets its name from its people, the indigenous Mazatecos. Their ancestral production techniques are free of chemicals and the coffee grows in agroforestry among other crops and trees. Ensambles has set up a regional operation in la Mazateca to be able to buy parchment directly from nearby smallholders, while provide direct feedback and technical assistance in the field. The name Tejao means eagle’s nest in Mazateco. This word also refers to a small town in Oaxaca called Huautla, where Ensambles have their main lab.

Equimite

State: Veracruz
Varietal: Gesha and Bourbon Rosado
Elevation: 1,200 - 1,300 masl
Processing: Natural 

This coffee is cultivated in Ensambles’ coffee plantation El Equimite. A biodiverse, organic, and biodynamic food forest located in Coatepec, Veracruz, a place where coffee is historically essential. The combination of climate, biodiversity, and altitude synergistically produces high-quality coffee while upholding ethical and sustainable production practices. Within a holistic vision, they carry out an agroecological system with regenerative practices. As a result of their agrodynamic culture, they approach the land with an integral vision that encompasses respect for the people and fosters an agroforestry environment. This environment embraces the presence of animals, pollinators, orchards, fruit trees, and forests. Each of these elements integrates harmoniously to shape each of their products.

Juba

State: Guerrero
Varietal: Typica and Bourbon
Elevation: 1,500 - 1,900 masl
Processing: Natural

Since 2017, Ensambles has had the privilege of sourcing exceptional coffees from the remote region of Montaña Alta in Guerrero, home to the Me’phaa indigenous community. As caretakers of the coffee forests near Oaxaca, Guerrero is highly appealing for its commitment to permaculture and sustainable practices. In this region, almost all of the coffee is processed using the natural process, contributing to Guerrero's strong reputation for producing unique coffees. Their coffee, named Juba after the Me'phaa word for 'mountain,' is the remarkable result of the innovative strategies employed by a group of coffee growers in Guerrero.