PEPE JIJON, ECUADOR (LONDON COFFEE FESTIVAL 2026)
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Working with Pepe Jijón has been one of the highlights of this year’s sourcing. His farm, Finca Soledad, is tucked away in Ecuador’s Intag Valley, where he focuses on biodiversity, soil health and meticulous processing. Beyond producing some of the most elegant coffees we’ve tasted this year, Pepe is simply a joy to work with. Thoughtful, generous and deeply committed to his craft.
These two Sidra lots showcase different expressions of the same variety through Pepe’s precise and experimental processing style. One clean and composed, the other deeper and more layered.
Both coffees were shipped directly by Pepe from Ecuador.
FARM
Finca Soledad sits high in Ecuador’s Intag Valley, surrounded by cloud forest and native biodiversity. Pepe has spent years restoring the land through reforestation and regenerative agriculture, growing rare varieties under shade with a strong focus on long term sustainability.
Finca Soledad has become known for producing some of the most expressive and refined coffees coming out of Ecuador today.
VARIETY
Sidra is one of Ecuador’s most celebrated varieties, known for combining floral clarity with deep sweetness and botanical aromatics. At Finca Soledad, Pepe’s approach to cultivation and processing pushes the variety into remarkably elegant territory.
These two lots highlight how processing alone shifts the profile of the same variety.
WAVE WASHED
This lot was produced using Pepe Jijón’s Wave Washed process, a fermentation approach built around controlled temperature shifts to enhance clarity, texture and varietal expression rather than heavy fermentation character. After harvesting, the cherries are carefully sorted and fermented in whole cherry before being depulped and moved through further controlled fermentation stages. Throughout the process, shifts between warmer and colder environments help guide microbial activity in carefully managed “waves”.
Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is washed and dried slowly under controlled conditions. The result is a washed coffee with precision, floral aromatics, layered sweetness and vibrant acidity, while the structure stays clean, elegant and transparent in the cup.
WAVE WASHED XT
The XT lot uses an extended version of Pepe Jijón’s Wave fermentation approach, designed to build greater sweetness, texture and aromatic complexity while preserving clarity and structure. Through controlled oxidation, temperature shifting during fermentation and extended resting time, the Sidra develops a deeper and more expressive profile, with layered florals, syrupy texture and vibrant acidity throughout the cup.
V60 RECIPE
DOSE
15g coffee : 225g water
POURS
45g “Bloom”, 30 second pause, up to 90g “2nd Bloom”, 30 second pause, up to 225g “Main Pour”.
TIME
2/2.5 minutes approx!
Aim for an even drawdown throughout the brew.