Lot 5.: Finca La Bendición Julian Grajales Zilli

My name is Julián Grajales Zilli, and I’m the 2025 Mexican Roasting Champion — but before anything else, I’m a coffee producer. I started growing coffee in 2018, and from that first harvest, I fell deeply in love with every part of the process. For me, coffee is more than a beverage — it’s a living expression of the land, the people who work it, and the choices we make along the way.
Our farm is called Finca La Bendición, and it truly lives up to its name. Located at 1,380 meters in the mountains of Ixhuatlán del Café, Veracruz, it’s a place of gratitude, care, and intention. We’ve been working this land since 2017, always with the goal of producing exceptional coffee while respecting the natural balance of our environment.
We cultivate Anacafé 14 and Gesha, under the shade of native trees, using organic and agroecological methods. That means no synthetic chemicals — instead, we use compost we make ourselves, feeding the soil and building long-term resilience. Every practice on the farm is shaped by sustainability: from how we manage shade and water to how we preserve biodiversity and protect the forest around us.
Harvesting is done only at peak ripeness. Our washed coffees go through a 5-day fermentation using clean, chlorine-free water, with careful monitoring to bring out complex and elegant flavors. Drying takes place in a custom dehydration room, where we can manage conditions precisely to ensure a clean, stable result. Once dried, the beans are stored in GrainPro bags to maintain freshness until they reach your hands.
We process both honey and natural lots, guided by a simple philosophy: let the coffee speak for itself. We don’t chase trends — we chase clarity, balance, and character.
Cup of Excellence has given us the opportunity to show what coffee can be when it’s grown with conscience and craft. But awards aren’t the goal — they’re just proof that coffee grown with care, without compromise, can shine on any stage.
At La Bendición, we believe in honoring every step and every cherry. All the coffee form our finca tells a story of a labor committed with the environment, our roots and with the future of Mexican coffee.