San Lorenzo, Guatemala

Description

TASTING NOTES

chocolate, brown sugar, almond, orange

COFFEE BACKGROUND

On his cloud-forested farms in the rolling hills of the Cobán region, third generation producer Luis “Wicho” Valdés III cultivates and processes some of the most sought-after coffees in Guatemala.

Wicho has been growing specialty coffee on his two farms, Finca Santa Isabel and Finca San Lorenzo, for twenty years. Between the two farms, Wicho’s team of managers and around 50 farmers work year-round to cultivate and process wonderful coffees. They prune shade trees, terrace the land to prevent topsoil erosion, and sample soil nutrients to maintain quality throughout each growing season.

Harvest is each November through April. During this season, the farms employ around 500 harvesters from the surrounding communities. The harvesters skillfully select the perfectly mature cherries from the millions of plants that span 70 hectares (more than 170 acres). Then, Wicho’s team expertly processes the coffee cherries at their Santa Isabel mill. Cobán’s humid climate with constant, unpredictable rainfall, makes it challenging to maintain quality during processing. To adapt to this, the team uses multiple drying methods, including raised beds, patio drying, and machine drying. Each technique produces high quality coffee with its own exceptional characteristics.

Wicho works closely with Los Volcanes Coffee. Their mutually beneficial relationship supports quality coffee production not just on his own farms, but for the entire region. Wicho’s team sends their coffee seeds to Los Volcanes’s cupping lab, which evaluates each lot and provides real-time feedback. Then they export the coffee, connecting Wicho to the higher premiums of the global specialty market.

In turn, Wicho serves as Los Volcanes’s base of operations in Cobán. His detailed work and hands-on experience provide a wealth of knowledge to Los Volcanes, helping them support other producers in the region. This kind of collaboration in a network of supportive, sustainable relationships is what makes specialty coffee is so special. From Wicho’s team at San Lorenzo, all the way to our own roastery — and then to your cup — the hard work and skill of hundreds of people are behind each sip of this lovely offering.