Leopoldo Andrade, Ligia Merizalde, and Ecuador’s Remarkable Coffee Potential

There is something exciting happening in Ecuador.

Across its mountains, producers are exploring distinctive varieties, refining fermentation techniques, and discovering just how expressive Ecuadorian coffee can be. At La Josefina Estate, Leopoldo Andrade and Ligia Merizalde are very much part of that movement.

Their coffees can be intensely aromatic, fruit-driven, floral, and unexpected — the kind that make you stop after the first sip and wonder how all of those flavors found their way into the cup.

That sense of discovery is what first drew us to La Josefina.

Located in the highlands near Ecuador’s Cayambe-Coca Natural Reserve, the estate brings together an extraordinary growing environment with Leopoldo and Ligia’s willingness to experiment. Rare varieties, carefully developed fermentations, and an exacting approach to processing all play a role.

For us, innovation is most interesting when it serves the coffee.

And at La Josefina, it does.

Where the Andes Meet the Amazon

La Josefina sits within a dramatic landscape shaped by mountains, dense forests, volcanic influence, cool temperatures, and the remarkable biodiversity found along the edge of the Amazon basin.

But terroir is only the beginning of the story.

Leopoldo and Ligia experiment with fermentation and drying techniques to explore sweetness, aromatics, texture, and fruit character while preserving clarity.

Their objective isn’t simply to make coffee taste unusual. It is to discover what each coffee is capable of expressing.

That combination of imagination and precision makes their coffees especially exciting for us to roast and share.

There is plenty for a serious coffee enthusiast to explore, but you don’t need to understand fermentation protocols or coffee genetics to appreciate what is happening.

Sometimes the first sip tells you everything you need to know.

From Ecuador to Miami

Great coffee may be what brought Sergio Boppel of Great Circle Coffee and Leopoldo Andrade of La Josefina together, but over time, their connection has grown into a close relationship built around much more than buying and selling coffee.

Leopoldo visits Sergio and the Great Circle team in Miami, spending time at the roastery, tasting coffees, exchanging ideas, and sharing a genuine curiosity for their craft.

Those visits create an exchange that goes both ways.

Sergio gets to hear firsthand about what Leopoldo and Ligia are exploring at La Josefina — the varieties they are working with, their experiments, and the possibilities they see in each harvest. Leopoldo gets to follow his coffees beyond the farm, tasting them thousands of miles from where they began and experiencing how Great Circle roasts and shares them with our Miami community.

Coffee travels an extraordinary distance before reaching your cup. Relationships like this make that distance feel much smaller.

For us, La Josefina isn’t simply a farm whose coffee we admire. It represents people we know, ideas we exchange, and a relationship we’re grateful to continue growing.

And whenever Leopoldo is in Miami, coffee is naturally at the center of the table.

In this picture Sergio Boppel (Great Circle Coffee owner and roaster) and Leopoldo Andrade (producer of La Josefina Estate).

Two Coffees, Two Expressions of La Josefina

This season, we’re excited to share two micro-lots that show just how expressive La Josefina can be.

Typica Mejorado Double Ferment Washed

Typica Mejorado is one of the varieties drawing attention to Ecuadorian specialty coffee, known for elegant sweetness, clarity, and floral character.

At La Josefina, a carefully managed double fermentation adds another layer of complexity.

We taste grape, blood orange, and florals, carried by silky sweetness and a bright, structured cup.

There is tremendous complexity behind this coffee, yet drinking it feels effortless — expressive, elegant, and beautifully composed.

Sudan Rumé Natural Extended Fermentation

Sudan Rumé is a rare variety prized for its distinctive aromatics and expressive fruit character.

At La Josefina, extended anaerobic fermentation followed by slow drying develops greater sweetness and depth while maintaining clarity.

We find flavors reminiscent of natural wine, cacao, and cherry cordial.

It is juicy, aromatic, and a little unexpected — the kind of coffee that makes you want to hand the cup to someone else and ask:

“Are you tasting this too?”

Those are some of our favorite coffee moments.

A Different Side of Ecuador

Ecuador is a relatively small coffee producer compared with several of its neighbors, and that is part of what makes exploring its coffees so interesting.

There isn’t one simple definition of what Ecuadorian coffee should taste like.

Producers like Leopoldo and Ligia are helping shape that story in real time through distinctive varieties, thoughtful experimentation, and extraordinary attention to detail.

That spirit resonates with us at Great Circle Coffee.

We believe specialty coffee can be innovative without becoming inaccessible, complex without losing warmth, and exciting enough to inspire curiosity while still being something you simply love to drink.

A coffee grown in the Ecuadorian highlands travels thousands of miles before reaching us in Miami — and eventually, your cup.

We’re proud to share the work of Leopoldo Andrade and Ligia Merizalde, and grateful for a relationship that continues to grow alongside their coffees.

Because some of the most exciting coffees don’t just show us what an origin can produce.They introduce us to the people helping shape what comes next.