Origin: Guatemala
Farm/Region: San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenango
Tasting Notes: Red Berries, Toffee, Almond & Vanilla
Producer: Carlos Rivas
Varietal: Pacamara
Processing: Washed
Altitude: 1650-1850 MASL

Guatemala La Union Pacamara Washed Espresso - Single Origin.

La Unión is owned by third-generation producer Carlos Rivas, who purchased the property in 2017 after it had been left abandoned for over a decade. La Unión sits near the town of Agua Dulce, in the west of Guatemala near the border with Mexico. Carlos has planted 40% of the estate with unique varieties while the remaining 60% grows high-yielding varieties to increase productivity.

This coffee was processed using the washed method at the farm’s onsite wet mill. At the end of the day, each of the workers delivers their carefully selected coffees to the mill, where they are hand-sorted and left to pre-ferment for 24 hours. This is done using permeable nylon sacks, which keeps coffee stable by matching its internal temperature with that of the surrounding environment. At this stage, the team is very careful to place the sacks filled with cherries in a cool, dry place to protect them from the elements, as high temperatures can accelerate fermentation and introduce undesirable flavours. Cherries are then pulped and the resulting wet parchment is left to ferment in tank for around 36 hours. Coffee is then washed with fresh water, and left in tank overnight, for a second fermentation. The following day, parchment is washed again as it goes down the mill’s washing channels. At La Unión, rare variety lots like this one are dried on raised beds for 10-15 days.