Terrazas del Pisque Horcaf – Cup of Excellence #22
Situated just a few miles north of Quito, Ecuador’s bustling capital, is the canton of Pedro Moncayo in the Pichincha Province. Known for its rich volcanic soils, this region is home to towering mountains and rumbling volcanoes, making it an ideal place to grow coffee.
Sitting immensely high at 2,100 meters above sea level is Terrazas del Pisque, a truly magnificent farm at the edge of a highland desert. The farm was initiated by Arnaud Causse, a Frenchman and previous agricultural engineer, 9 years ago with hopes of marrying nature with coffee production. This proved to be a difficult task for Arnaud, who previously started a different farm in the Pichincha province called Las Tolas in the amidst the tangling foliage of a diverse forest. His first farm was a struggle to maintain, the exotic trees found it difficult to compete with the native plants. He sought to avoid this challenge with the initiation of Terrazas del Pisque.
- Farm Terrazas del Pisque
- Varietal Typica Mejorado
- Process Honey
- Altitude 2,100 meters above sea level
- Town / City Pedro Moncayo
- Region Pichincha
- Owner Arnaud Causse, Horcaf
- Tasting Notes Granola, sweet bread pastry, floral
- Farm Size 40 hectares
The small biodiverse country in South America may not be known for producing high yields of coffee, but Ecuador maintains some of the richest soils to grow coffee. The crop was first introduced to Ecuador in 1860 by Spanish colonists in the Manabí Province of the Jipijapa Zone. To this day, this region is well-known for its Arabica production despite the low altitudes. Coffee production soon moved higher in the Andes Mountains, and thanks to the increased altitudes, the biodiverse ecosystems, and warm climates – quality and yield significantly improved.