Finca Soledad - Washed Sydra
Owned by Pepe Jijón, a former Ecuadorian mountaineer turned passionate coffee farmer, Finca Soledad embodies environmental purpose and regenerative farming. Our recent trip to the farm highlighted their meticulous approach to producing exceptional lots of Sydra, a distinctive Ecuadorian variety prized for its vibrant complexity and elegance.
Hand-picked ripe cherries are carefully sorted and processed using a refined washed method. After depulping, the beans undergo controlled fermentation to develop clarity and sweetness, followed by thorough washing to remove the mucilage. The coffee is then slow-dried on raised beds under cloud-forest conditions to preserve structure, balance, and its signature vibrant profile. This results in an exceptionally clean, expressive cup defined by bright acidity, layered fruit notes, floral sweetness, and a silky, tea-like body.
What’s in the box
Finca Soledad Washed Sydra
Research Rarities Collection
The Research Rarities Collection represents a curated selection of exclusive, seasonally released coffees originating from our research program. Each offering reflects explorations of pioneering cultivation techniques and innovative drying processes. Developed in close collaboration with some of the best coffee growers in the world and industry experts, these limited-edition coffees exemplify our ongoing commitment to excellence, agricultural sustainability, and innovation within the field. Through this collection, we provide consumers with a rare opportunity to experience the forefront of coffee development.
Finca Soledad, Ecuador
High in Ecuador’s misty Intag Valley, Finca Soledad spans 120 hectares of biodynamic cloud forest, with just 4 hectares devoted to coffee. Founded in 2010 by José Ignacio “Pepe” Jijón—a former mountaineer and Seven Summiteer—the farm began as a reforestation project and has since replanted over 25,000 trees, turning deforested land into a thriving ecosystem.
Pepe and his family champion ethical labor and community care, employing and supporting local single mothers while resisting regional mining pressures. Their meticulous, experimental processing—washed, honey, natural, and extended fermentations—highlights varieties like Typica Mejorado, Sidra, and Gesha, yielding cups alive with floral aromas, tropical fruit, and elegant sweetness.
Honored in 2024 with Sprudge’s Most Notable Producer award, Finca Soledad now expands to a second farm in Loja, carrying forward a vision that fuses ecological restoration, community empowerment, and world-class Ecuadorian coffee.
Sydra
A refined Ecuadorian heirloom variety (often described as a Bourbon-Typica cross or Ethiopian landrace influence), Sydra thrives at altitude in Finca Soledad’s volcanic cloud forest soils. Selectively bred for resilience and quality, it delivers exceptional cup profiles while remaining relatively rare and demanding to cultivate.
Meticulous washed processing and careful fermentation reveal striking flavors—notes of strawberry cotton candy, white peach, tropical fruit, plum, apricot, and delicate florals—balanced by bright acidity, clover honey sweetness, and a silky body. Low-yielding and requiring attentive care, Sydra stands out in the specialty world for its vibrant, intricate, and elegant character. Its elongated beans and tall plants contribute to its unique sensory qualities.
Processing and Drying
At Finca Soledad, ripe Sydra cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness. They are depulped and undergo controlled fermentation before thorough washing to cleanly remove the mucilage. The beans then dry slowly for 10–20 days on raised beds under cloud-forest light, preserving vibrant acidity, floral aromatics, and signature notes of strawberry cotton candy, white peach, apricot, plum, and delicate florals.
Technical Data
Farm: Finca Soledad
Farmer: Pepe Jijon
Variety: Sydra (Sidra)
Origin: Ecuador
District: Imbabura
Altitude: 1515 masl
Process: Washed
Microclimate: The farm is situated in the Intag Valley’s cloud forest, with year-round mist, primary rainforest, and high biodiversity.
Brewing Advice
Rested coffee
We recommend resting our coffees for at least 10 days after the roast date, and we often find our coffee the most expressive around 3 weeks.
Water
To prepare, simply add 3.0g of the mineral concentrate to every 1 litre of high-quality demineralised water, then give it a good shake. This curated mixture will result in a mineral concentration of 90 parts per million (ppm) of perfectly balanced mineral compositions, optimising the brewing conditions for an exceptional coffee experience.
Brewing Parameters
We recommend using 13 grams of coffees to 200 grams of water. A coarse grind size approximately 900 micron. Brewing temperature 92C. Our brewing pattern is a 50g circular pour every 40 seconds. Total brew time is 3:00.
