Cartel Roasters - GUATEMALA LA BELLA EL PROGRESO WASHED - Espresso roast

In the heart of the Sierra de las Minas, La Bella Estate is surrounded by lush forests. Thanks to a tropical climate that’s ideal for cultivating specialty coffee, La Bella Estate is well known for producing top-notch specialty coffees.

The estate was founded in 1960 by Teodoro’s father. Teodoro began working alongside his father in 1999 and the two worked together until his father’s passing in 2012. As a fourth-generation coffee farmer, Teodoro brings a rich family tradition of coffee growing knowledge to all his efforts at La Bella Estate.

Ripe, red cherry is harvested and processed at the on-site wet mill. Cherry is pulped and fermented in tanks for 60 to 72 hours. Following fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water and laid on patios to dry. Parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 10 days for parchment to dry. If the weather is poor, drying will be finished in mechanical dryers.

Villa Sarchi the varietal comes from Sarchi village in Costa Rica where this natural mutation of a Bourbon coffee variety was first discovered. This variety is most productive at high altitudes with shade trees and regular fertilization.

Guatemala boasts a variety of growing regions and conditions that produce spectacular coffees. Today, the country is revered as a producer of some of the most flavorful and nuanced cups worldwide. We are proud to work with several exceptional in-country partners to bring these coffees to market.

The Guatemalan coffee industry experienced a major setback with the 2010 appearance of Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) in Latin America. The epidemic peaked in severity in 2012, and though CLR continues to affect some farms, Guatemala continues to produce high-quality, record-breaking coffees. In 2017, new and varied processing methods pushed prices at the Guatemalan Cup of Excellence contest to record highs.

The quality of coffee being produced in Guatemala is increasing, overall, due to the diversity of the industry’s producers. There are more and more small holder farmers producing exceptional coffee at high altitudes. Cooperatives are becoming more appealing to so many smallholders because they often offer farmers financing and other support for improving their farming and processing and are frequently able to offer higher prices for cherry than middlemen. Many cooperatives have initiated quality improvement training for farmer members and are becoming more adept at helping members market their coffee as specialty.