Ecuador Olger Rogel - Sidra Washed

Olger Rogel and his wife, Magda Zabala, moved together to Nanegal in 1996 from their native Loja province, in Ecuador’s south. They moved for better job opportunities than what they experienced in Loja, and yet at that time the northwest corner of Pichincha was practically a ghost town—so many of the area’s rural citizens were relocating 2 hours away in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, for work in the urban area. Olger and Magda were one of the first individuals to plant coffee here, in 2007. Now, 15 years later, they have 10 acres of land and 9,000 coffee trees, and 4 children who contribute to the family business. The farm has 2-3 full-time employees and a harvest staff of 60. Olger tends the farm with one of his daughters, Magda roasts the coffee for the family’s coffee shop where their other daughter helps out, and coffee is also packaged for domestic sales, which is assisted by their 2 sons.  

Olger grows many varieties on his farm. Sidra, Mejorado, Pacamara and others including a few trees of the Coffea Eugenioides species we featured from him as one of the first offerings of our Rare Coffees Tour subscription.

Cherry is depulped immediately after picking and fermented in open tanks. After fermentation is complete, the parchment is thoroughly washed and moved to raised beds under shade canopy for a slow and even drying stage.  

Olger and family’s coffee was milled and exported by CafExporto, a boutique seller that has grown slowly beyond the borders of its original farm, Hacienda La Papaya, owned and managed by Juan Peña.