We are happy to release the second Pacamara from this years Guatemalan harvest, and one with a very different profile. Step away from the funky anaerobic natural in Liquidambar and embrace the sweet, fruity and complex washed lot in La Esperanza.
Huehuetenango has altitudes over 2,000 meters, Huehue is the highest and driest region of Guatemala. It is only one of three regions without volcanic soil. Historically, it has been one of the more remote areas of the country and accessibility has been challenging. In the past, many farmers have used oxen or have carried their coffees on their back. Huehuetenango enjoys easy access to water sources, enabling many producers to process their own coffee.
Guatemala is a country that has 12 different Mayan dialects and in many towns, people don’t speak Spanish. The challenges in working with smaller groups is sometimes the language barrier, and Coffee Bird has found this to be true on occasion. Also many small villages still have a bit of a self-policing, and don’t permit strangers into their towns/properties. Many of Coffee Bird's introductions into Huehuetenango have been through introductions through their network, which also helps to break down any language barriers.
LA ESPERANZA
This story goes back over 50 years, to when Don Eleodoro would travel 4 days by foot to buy cherry from a farm, and then walk 5 days back to sell the coffee to a mill. Once he realised it was a viable business, he bought Finca La Esperanza in 1953. Aurelio, one of Eleodoro’s sons, grew up on the farm. After leaving for school for a year, Aurelio returned to help and learn. His ultimate dream was to have his own farm, which he purchased in 1986. He called it Villaure, which is a combination of his first and last names: ’Vill’, from Villatoro and ‘Aure’ from Aurelio. Since day one, he worked hard and dedicated his time to producing high quality coffee. He has been awarded many national and international awards. Aurelio had been helping his father with La Esperanza, and upon Don Eleodoro’s recent passing, has taken over management of the farm. Villaure has competed in the Cup of Excellence four times. He has also been awarded by Illy as the Best Farmer in Guatemala and Best Farmer in Huehuetenango.
PROCESSING
The cherries are picked between 6am-3pm. Once the picking is completed, the cherries are taken to the wet mill, where the coffee is pulped and transferred to fermentation tanks for 24-36 hours. Once fermentation is completed, the coffee is washed. After being washed, the coffee is dried on the patios for 10-20 days until it reaches a desired moisture content of 10-11.5%.
(In partnership with Coffee Bird)
