Key origin info:

Producer: Saul Cerqueda - independent producer from the Sierra Mazateca area

Region: Sierra Mazatea, Oaxaca state, Mexico
Altitude: Around 1300 masl

Varietals: Pluma Hidalgo & Mundo Novo
Process: Washed

Exporter: Red Beetle | Importer: Raw Material

Cup profile: Juicy, blackcurrant & goldern syrup

Purchase history: Since 2020 with Red Beetle & Raw Material; first purchase from Saul 2026

More about Saul & the Sierra Mazateca:

The Sierra Mazateca sits in the high mountains of northern Oaxaca — a region that has long flown under the radar of the specialty coffee industry. Coffee has been grown here for generations, passed down through families of the indigenous Mazatec people, who call themselves Ha Shuta Enima: those who work the hills. For a long time, the quality of what they produced went largely unrecognised, absorbed into large commercial blends at prices that didn't reflect the work or the potential in the cup.

Saul is one of a small number of individual producers whose coffee is now separated, cupped, and brought to market under their own name. That work is done by Red Beetle, a local partner embedded in the community, who cup every sample, give producers direct feedback, and pay prices that reflect quality rather than just market rates. Raw Material then connect these coffees to roasters like us — building a supply chain that gives farmers in one of Mexico's most overlooked regions genuine access to the specialty market for the first time.

The conditions here are demanding — steep terrain, high altitude, cool temperatures, and persistent rain. These are the same conditions that make the coffee remarkable. Grown between 1,450 and 1,900 metres and processed using the washed method, Saul's coffee is the product of a landscape that doesn't make anything easy. The result is a juicy, elegant cup with notes of blackcurrant and golden syrup.

When you buy this coffee, you're not just getting something delicious. You're part of a supply chain that we're working to make fairer, more transparent, and more sustainable — one small lot at a time.