ROAST LEVEL: MEDIUM-LIGHT

TASTING NOTES: CHERRY-CHOCOLATE-APRICOT-SYRUPY

GROWER: José Alejandro Solis

REGION: La Democracia, Huehuetenango, Guatemala

PROCESS: Fully washed and dried in the sun

VARIETY: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, and Mundo Novo

SOIL: Clay minerals

ALTITUDE: 1250 - 1740 masl

For the last several years most of Alejandro's field work has been focused on aggressive farm renovation to recover from several years of severe leaf rust damage. He has increased his regular renovation plan from 5 percent of the estates per year to 8 percent per year. The efforts start in the nursery where Alejandro has invested in new technology, he calls tubitos (plastic tubes) to grow seedlings. The tubs are specially designed to be long enough to support an extended root-stem, which means a stronger plant to transplant of the estate. Unlike the traditional plastic bags, the tubitos are reusable and work well with organic compost made from coffee pulp.

In addition to leaf rust damage, yields over the last two years have been reduced by record low rainfall, which has caused about 5 percent crop loss because the cherry dehydrates on the tree before it can fully mature. To account for the unpredictable drops in precipitation, he is replanting with wider spacing between rows and terracing the hillsides. He is also planting cover crops between rows to help fix nutrients in the soil and control erosion.

The estate has its own wet mill, which still functions in a very traditional way. There is an abundance of fresh spring water for floating cherries to remove the less dense, under ripe and damaged beans. The force of water passing through the wet mill is also used to power the depulper. After depulped, the coffee is submerged in water and fermented for 48 to 72 hours. Next, it is mechanically washed to reduce water contamination and then dragged by clean water through long classification channels to separate out less dense beans. The washed parchment is then taken to patios to dry in the sun.