Farm/Region: Antigua
Tasting Notes: Blackberry and dried orange with a dark chocolate finish
Producer: Ricardo Zelaya
Varietal: Borboncito
Processing: Natural
The Zelaya family has been producing coffee in Guatemala for over a century. We’ve been offering beautiful lots from the family’s Santa Clara and La Soledad farms for many years. For the last few years, we’ve been lucky to offer coffee from another farm, Hacienda Carmona, which was run for six decades by the late Maria Zelaya Aguirre and is now managed by her nephew, our long-time producing partner, Ricardo Zelaya.
Ricardo has spent the last 12 years updating the farm’s 150-hectare coffee plantation, overhauling the growing, pest control and fertilisation practices. All his efforts have resulted in healthier plants, greater yields and a huge improvement in coffee quality.
“The three farms we buy coffee from in Antigua were all originally part of the same estate,” says Market Lane Co-owner, Jason. “To me, it’s really interesting how different they all taste, given the similar elevation, varieties and area. The cup profiles are really distinct. Hacienda Carmona is the most floral of the three. It’s elegant, sweet and complex.