In the coolest, highest part of the Santa Barbara Mountains, Yudi Alejandrina Perez, operates El Aliso, her 10-hectare farm. She manages the farm by herself, recruiting help from her relatives during harvest. The region is extremely remote, an hour from the nearest city. To reach El Aliso from town takes an additional 30-minute drive on a dirt road and a 30-minute walk. Yudi and her relatives carry their harvest down to the road to meet the truck that will transport it to town. 

Stable year-round temperatures, relatively low humidity, and fertile, mineral-rich soil in the Santa Barbara Mountains lead to ideal growing conditions for the coffee farms dotting their slopes. At El Aliso, Yudi grows the Pache variety shaded by native plants, including fruit and alder trees. The farm is fertilized with organic compost made from coffee pulp. 

This is our first year buying Yudi's coffee. We're impressed by her agronomic practices and the constant efforts she puts into her coffee. We enjoyed this sweet, lightly fruity cup as soon as we tasted it. Dial into pleasant notes of spiced plum and pastry with 1:16 brew ratio, filtered water at 204-206℉, a medium grind, and a 3-3.5 minute brew cycle.