Tasting Notes
FLAVOR: Raspberry • Winey • Cinnamon • Orange
BODY: Medium
ACIDITY: Medium
PROCESS: Natural Anaerobic Dragon
Size: 12 oz
Roast: Light
Origin: Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
Elevation: 1,400 meters
Producers: Various Smallholders
Varieties: Caturra • Bourbon
Origin Notes
Mexico Nayarit | Natural Anaerobic Dragon
Fruit-forward, aromatic, and anything but ordinary, Mexico Nayarit Natural Anaerobic Dragon showcases just how adventurous coffee can become through origin and experimental processing.
Produced by smallholder farmers in the mountains of Nayarit in northern Mexico, this coffee brings together juicy raspberry, warm cinnamon, bright orange, and a distinctive winey character.
Its natural anaerobic process amplifies the fruit and fermentation characteristics already present in the coffee, creating a cup that's complex, expressive, and noticeably different from a traditionally processed coffee.
Roasted in small batches at Hill Tree Roastery, Dragon is made for coffee drinkers who want to explore beyond the familiar and discover just how diverse coffee can taste.
Nayarit | Coffee Between Mountains & Ocean
The Mexican state of Nayarit is a diverse agricultural region shaped by mountains, forests, volcanic landscapes, and the nearby Pacific Ocean.
The highlands surrounding Tepic, Nayarit's capital, lie at the foothills of an extinct volcano and experience a humid, subtropical climate. Much of the region's rainfall occurs between April and November, supporting the area's rich agricultural landscape.
Travel approximately two hours from Tepic along dirt roads and you'll reach Cofradía de Chocolón, a small and remote coffee-growing community surrounded by forests, old coffee plantations, and spectacular views toward the ocean.
Coffee here grows at approximately 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) above sea level, where smallholder farmers cultivate Caturra and Bourbon trees in an environment capable of producing remarkably expressive coffees.
Natural Anaerobic Processing | Where Things Get Interesting
This is where Dragon begins to separate itself from more traditional coffees.
Natural anaerobic processing combines fermentation with extended contact between the coffee bean and the surrounding fruit.
Anaerobic refers to fermentation that takes place in an environment with limited oxygen. Changing the fermentation environment can influence how flavors and aromas develop within the coffee cherry.
The coffee is also naturally processed, meaning the beans dry while still surrounded by the coffee cherry rather than having the fruit removed immediately after harvest.
That extended fruit contact can enhance sweetness, body, and fruit character.
Together, these processing techniques help create the expressive raspberry, wine, cinnamon, and orange characteristics that make Dragon such an unusual and memorable coffee.
Caturra & Bourbon | Familiar Varieties, Unexpected Results
Dragon is produced from Caturra and Bourbon, two important Arabica varieties found throughout Latin America.
Bourbon has long been valued for its sweetness and cup quality, while Caturra—a natural mutation of Bourbon—became widely cultivated throughout Latin America's coffee-growing regions.
What makes Dragon especially interesting is what happens when these familiar varieties meet Nayarit's growing environment and natural anaerobic processing.
The result demonstrates one of the things we find most fascinating about specialty coffee: variety is only part of the story.
Where coffee grows, how ripe cherries are selected, how they're fermented, how they're dried, and ultimately how they're roasted can dramatically influence what ends up in your cup.
Smallholder Coffee | Many Farms, One Distinctive Lot
This coffee is produced by various smallholder farmers from the Nayarit region rather than coming from one large estate.
Smallholder coffee farming is common throughout many of the world's coffee-growing regions. Individual producers cultivate relatively small areas of land, carefully harvesting their coffee before it is combined and processed as part of a larger regional lot.
That shared approach allows coffee from a remote growing community like Cofradía de Chocolón to reach specialty coffee drinkers far beyond Nayarit.
Behind every bag is not simply one farm, but a collection of producers contributing to the character and quality of the final coffee.
What Does "Winey" Coffee Mean?
When we describe Dragon as winey, we aren't saying it contains wine or alcohol.
Instead, we're describing a combination of ripe fruit, sweetness, acidity, fermentation character, and aroma that may remind you of some of the qualities found in wine.
Alongside raspberry and orange, the anaerobic fermentation adds another layer of complexity that separates this coffee from a more traditional chocolate-and-caramel flavor profile.
If you're accustomed to classic coffee flavors, your first sip may be surprising.
That's part of what makes Dragon so much fun to explore.
A Coffee Connected To Nayarit's Culture
Dragon also celebrates the Huichol people of the Nayarit region, known for distinctive artistic traditions including intricate beadwork and colorful yarn paintings.
Through these art forms, traditions, stories, and visions have been preserved and passed from one generation to another.
That connection adds another dimension to a coffee already deeply influenced by its place of origin—from Nayarit's mountains, forests, and volcanic landscape to the smallholder farmers and cultural traditions of the region.
Why You'll Love This Coffee
If you've ever wondered how coffee can naturally taste like berries, citrus, spice, or even wine, Dragon gives you an opportunity to find out.
Raspberry brings vibrant fruit character, orange adds citrus brightness, cinnamon introduces warmth, and the winey fermentation character ties everything together into a cup that evolves as you drink it.
This isn't a traditional dark, roasty coffee—and that's exactly what makes it special.
Dragon is for the curious coffee drinker. If you enjoy exploring single origins, natural coffees, experimental processing, craft beverages, or fruit-forward flavors, there's plenty here to discover.
And if this is your first anaerobic coffee, don't worry about understanding every tasting note. Brew it, let it cool a little, and pay attention to how the flavors change.
Coffee doesn't have to taste like "coffee" as you know it.
Sometimes, it can taste like this.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "anaerobic" mean in coffee?
Anaerobic refers to fermentation that occurs in an environment with limited oxygen. Altering the fermentation environment can influence the flavors and aromas that develop before the coffee is dried, roasted, and brewed.
Is raspberry, cinnamon, orange, or wine added to this coffee?
No. There are no added flavors or sweeteners. Raspberry, cinnamon, orange, and winey are tasting notes describing flavors and aromas naturally experienced in the coffee as a result of its variety, growing environment, processing, fermentation, and roasting.
Does "winey" mean this coffee contains alcohol?
No. The coffee doesn't contain wine. "Winey" describes characteristics that may remind you of wine, such as ripe fruit, fermentation complexity, sweetness, aroma, and acidity.
How is natural anaerobic different from washed coffee?
In washed processing, the fruit surrounding the coffee bean is removed relatively early. With a natural anaerobic coffee, fermentation occurs under limited-oxygen conditions and the natural process allows the coffee to remain in contact with the cherry during drying. That combination can produce considerably more intense fruit and fermentation-driven flavors.
What's the best way to brew Mexico Nayarit Dragon?
We recommend pour-over, Chemex, AeroPress, or a quality drip brewer if you want to explore its individual flavors. These methods can provide the clarity needed to distinguish raspberry, orange, cinnamon, and its wine-like fermentation character.
And don't drink this one too quickly.
Taste it hot, then return to the cup several times as it cools. Coffees with experimental processing can change dramatically with temperature, and some of Dragon's most interesting characteristics may not fully reveal themselves until later in the cup.
