Guatemala - La Hermosa | Washed - Archived

Origin

• 🇬🇹 Guatemala· Acatenango

Tasting notes

Character

• Funky
  20

Max Perez has become, in the past few years, a well-known and regarded name in Specialty coffee in Guatemala. His farms, fincas La Hermosa and Mama Cata sit in the high Acatenango valley in Chimaltenango, tucked between volcanoes. The slopes of Volcán de Acatenango provide the perfect growing conditions for excellent coffees. Altitudes of 1900 to 2100 meters above sea level, nutrient and mineral dense soils, steady annual rainfall of 1000mm, and a temperate climate make for an ideal micro-climate for exotic varieties. Max began farming in Acatenango in 2010, but his legacy in coffee cultivation goes back 4 generations. After taking many trips to different growing regions in search of the perfect micro-climate and growing conditions, he found them in Acatenango, on one of the highest plots of land in the region. Here, the Perez family quickly divested the land into strategic subplots and planted exceptional varieties throughout. 20 workers live and work on the farm during harvest. Shade Trees (Chalum and Gravilea) and fruit trees are planted throughout the farm. By 2018, La Hermosa was already winning international awards in the Cup of ExcellenceCup of Excellence (COE)A national competition and auction that identifies a country's best lots each year; winning 'COE' lots command dramatic price premiums.. In the 2022 COE, Mama Cata won 8th place with a washedWashed processThe fruit is removed from the seed before drying, usually with fermentation and a water rinse. Tends to give clean, transparent cups where origin character shows clearly. GeshaGesha (Geisha)A rare, jasmine-and-bergamot scented variety originally from Ethiopia's Gesha forest, made famous by Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. Routinely the most expensive coffee at auction., and La Hermosa 14th place with a naturalNatural processThe whole cherry is dried with the fruit still on the seed. Gives heavier body and big fruit flavors — think berries and wine — sometimes with a fermenty edge. Gesha. Both farms also produce BourbonBourbonOne of the two foundational arabica varieties (with Typica), named after Île Bourbon (Réunion). Sweet, balanced, caramel-leaning; parent of countless modern cultivars., Yellow Bourbon, CaturraCaturraA natural dwarf mutation of Bourbon found in Brazil: compact plants, easier picking, bright and clean cup. A workhorse across Latin America., CatuaíCatuaíA Brazilian cross of Mundo Novo and Caturra: short, productive, storm-resistant. Sweet, mild, dependable — everywhere in Brazil and Central America., TypicaTypicaThe oldest cultivated arabica lineage, ancestor of most Latin American coffee. Low yield, clean and sweet cup; the baseline other varieties are measured against., and Pacamara varieties. Lots are separated and special varieties are processed in many unique, expertly calibrated processes for submissions to auctions and the international market. We were fortunate to cup this lot with the ever hospitable Onyx team at their cuppingCuppingThe standardized tasting ritual — coarse grounds steeped in hot water, crust broken, slurped from a spoon — used to score and compare coffees. lab in Guatemala City in the Spring of this year. We also had a chance to meet Max and Claudia on the same trip, it was a pleasure and we are super excited to be able to bring this lot in for all of you. This coffee is USDA organic Certified.