Although Chiapas, Mexico is known for many things, one of them has to be the Mayan Temples at Palenque. We wanted to pay tribute to the indigenous culture of this region by offering this often overlooked coffee. This Catimor variety bean is a high grown coffee from Finca La Chilana in Chiapas, which is one of Mexico’s leading coffee regions due to its rich volcanic soil and several micro-climates. This coffee is grown at altitudes between 1000 and 1,250 meters, and is characterized by large bean sizes and a round, balanced cup. Washed is also known as “Wet Process” which means ripe cherries are de-pulped to remove the outer skin then fermented for 12-18 hours depending on ambient conditions, after which it is fully washed with clean water in grading channels to remove the remaining mucilage. The parchment is raked and turned periodically on patios to ensure a consistent drying process until the optimum moisture content of 12% has been reached to complete the process. We purchase these beans through fair trade partners and then roast them with honor in small batches in our home to bring out the notes of vanilla, toffee, nut, and chocolate.