february 2026 norml sub part 1
We are excited to continue telling Fabricio's story, so this month's very norml coffee for the norml sub is Hacienda La Florida's Anaerobic Washed Sidra.
In January, we introduced Fabricio from Hacienda La Florida and explored why his passion and philosophy behind the craft of his coffee is a strong reason for running a subscription like this. There's a lot going on behind the scenes, so we're excited to continue telling stories through this month's coffee.
Geographical Background
Ecuador's coffee-producing "belt" is huge. The northern part of the Andes Mountain range stretches all the way from the country's northern border (with Colombia) to its southern border (with Peru). Coffee production happens throughout this entire mountainous stretch.
The closest airport to Hacienda La Florida is in Loja, 3-4 hours away. The airport is tiny, at high elevation, and surrounded by mountains (making takeoffs and landings quite scary). There are only a couple of flights per day, and reaching it requires many flight segments.
Loja is both a province in Ecuador and a town. Hacienda La Florida is in the southern part of the province, with the closest town being Sozoranga. The farm sits on a steep mountainside in a large river valley that points north toward the Pacific Ocean. The valley channels winds coming in from the Pacific side.
Pictured below: Valley facing north that the farm on the hillside directly faces out to, the picture was taken here
The Farm
Fabricio is passionate about many aspects of his farm. His horses and dogs are (maybe) his favorites (though it's hard to pick favorites sometimes). He used to ride horses competitively; now his horses are a highlight of farm life, like using them to ride up the mountain to the farm.
Another key aspect of life on Fabricio's farm is his pigs, which are essential for creating nutrient-rich fertilizer. After composting for about 50 days, he produces a natural compost high in nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, making it excellent for improving soil health and keeping coffee trees happy.
Pictured below: Fabricio showing the compost he makes
Sidra
Both Sidra and Typica Mejorado are believed to have been created in a Nestlé research and breeding facility in the Pichincha province of Ecuador. Typica Mejorado is more desirable to grow in Ecuador, according to Fabricio. The variety is not that easy to grow either, but is more likely to fetch peak prices for coffee in Ecuador. This is a reason why Fabricio loves to help other farmers get started in the area, he likes to encourage them to plant Sidra in addition to Typica Mejorado, especially when getting started. (Joe from Chakana Cruz is someone who he has helped with his farm). Fabricio believes it's easier to grow than Typica Mejorado and is a hardy plant with sugary cherries capable of achieving similarly high yields. The sugariness allows farmers, especially new farmers, to explore and experiment with fermentation, which is something Fabricio enjoys doing himself. In other words, he considers the Sidra variety an "underrated powerhouse" to grow in Ecuador, especially when well-maintained and managed, as it can reach exceptional quality.
Fabricio's Sidra is definitely heading in that direction. His plants are nestled under healthy amounts of shade. Shade-grown coffee is often discussed for its effect on slower cherry maturation, which develops more complex sugars and leads to a more complex coffee. What's not often talked about is that not all shade is created equal. Trees have leaves and organic matter that falls and decomposes. This acts as another source of natural compost (nitrogen fixing). The type of trees also matters. Luckily, the varying types of trees on his farm don't compete with the coffee plants for soil nutrients, which can be a problem. The coffee plants are filled with deep green leaves, produce medium to high cherry yields, and the cherries are, in fact, super sweet.
Pictured below: Some of Fabricio's Sidra plants
This Sidra from Fabricio is an Anaerobic Washed process, though it sits pretty low on the funk scale for us. In this coffee, we taste more variety and terroir expression rather than fermentation. It has flavors that resemble yellow stone fruits, with acidity that's both citric like red berries and a bit of delicate stone fruit/peachy forward malic acidity, plus a touch of elegant herbality like sweet basil.
As normal (no pun intended) the sub includes two different roasts of this coffee, and it's a bit different than what we did last month. This month, both roasts are roasted on the same machine: the Roest L200 Ultra. We did two different roasts on the same machine that produced two different expressions of roasting style, this time using the same machine to do so.