Mexico | Cristal Decaf

Cristal represents an amalgam of coffees from across Mexico’s growing regions, including Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas.

Historically, Mexican coffee was viewed as an inexpensive, low-grown blender with cup characteristics including nuttiness, chocolate, and generally mild citric acid. Today, though, high-grown Mexican coffee has extremely interesting complex citric and malic acidity, balanced sweetness in the form of chocolate and toffee, and an overall clean cup. We've had Mexican coffees that have absolutely knocked our socks off; in fact, some of the Cafe Imports sales staff wax very poetically about the fruity, floral, vanilla-cherry-chocolate cups they've had from here. 

Being such a large producing country and relatively close to visit, Mexico is bursting with potential. The climate and altitude conditions are excellent for specialty coffee, and every year more efforts are made to not just find it but improve it, and of course protect it from dangers like leaf rust and ojo de gallo. Throughout the countryside, you find a number of nurseries hosting stronger, better varieties that will lead to a sustainable focus on quality and consistency.

The diversity throughout the country leaves endless possibilities for new, exciting cup profiles.  We have been thrilled to find taste characteristics from across the world present in coffees grown so close to home, and we’re only at the beginning of discovering what is possible. Lot separation, altitude separation, variety separation, all are being tried more and more, with great results.

We believe that some of the biggest opportunities and the most potential are with our neighbors to the south, and we continue to nurture our relationships with growers there, specifically within the Chiapas region, to empower and encourage them as they continue to overcome the obstacles of the past 15 to 20 years

Candied pecan, creamy, red apple

Country: Mexico Region: Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas Variety: Bourbon, Typica, and Mundo Novo Process: Washed (MWP) Elevation: 1,000 - 1,800 Meters Above Sea Level (MASL)

Mexico's Cristal Decaf showcases the versatility of Bourbon, a foundational varietal with a heritage spanning centuries of coffee cultivation. Sourced from three major Mexican coffee regions—Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas—this washed lot benefits from the high-altitude growing conditions between 1,000–1,800 meters across these diverse terroirs. Quills Coffee has developed this decaffeinated offering to deliver candied pecan and creamy body alongside subtle red apple notes, demonstrating that decaf processing need not sacrifice complexity. For those seeking caffeine-free exploration, this Mexican coffee bridges accessibility with flavor depth, balancing the stone-fruit and nutty characteristics often associated with the region's classic profile.