Ecuador Finca Soledad

Pepe Jijon was an avid mountain climber and became the first Latin American to solo climb the 7 Summits. After a motorcycle accident left him with paralysis in his right wrist, he bought land in the Intag Valley, Imbabura Province, to plant trees and escape from the world—hence Soledad, Spanish for solitude. Initially uninterested in coffee, Pepe was encouraged by local farmers to grow coffee trees, discovering a passion for specialty coffee. Today, he’s an award-winning producer, and his son, Jose, has joined him at Finca Soledad and has since expanded to open Fincas del Putushio farm.

Finca Soledad produces coffee varieties like Typica Mejorado, Sidra, and small amounts of Geisha. Pepe’s innovative processing methods reflect his love for nature, guided by the flavors of the varietals he works with.

This coffee is processed using the JJ washed method, where ripe cherries are fermented in water for 48 hours, pulped, and sealed for another 24-hour fermentation. The coffee is then washed and slow dried—first in shade for 7 days, then in a mix of shade and sunlight for 14 days—reducing moisture to 10-12%.