Chimaltenango

Chimaltenango lies between Antigua to the south and Huehuetenago to the north. Chimaltenango is notably dry for a Guatemalan coffee growing region, but boasts an abundance of natural springs and ideal micro-climates for growing coffee.

Bourbon & Caturra

Bourbon takes its name from Bourbon Island (now La Réunion), where it was introduced by French missionaries who had taken a few coffee seeds from Yemen in the 1700s. Along with Typica, Bourbon accounts for the basis of most of the world's coffee production today which is made up of Bourbon and Typica descendant varieties. Bourbon is known for its high-quality potential, susceptibility to disease and relatively low yields.

A natural mutation of Bourbon, originally discovered in Brazil in the early 20th century; Caturra derives its name from the Guarani word for “small,” a reference to its diminutive stature that results from a single-gene mutation causing dwarfism. It was this small size- allowing for more trees to be planted closer together- that led to mass selections of Caturra being made by the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) of Sao Paulo State in Campinas in the 1930’s. Caturra then made its way to Guatemala during the 1940’s and then was widely adopted in the 1970’s by the rest of Central America, where it is now one of the most economically important varieties. At high altitudes Caturra has strong quality and yield potential but unfortunately, is quite susceptible to disease

Washed

At La Hermosa, coffee cherries are carefully hand-picked once they reach 21 Bx. All harvesting and processing occur on the same day to prevent uncontrolled fermentation and avoid off-flavors. Instead of mechanical methods, the mucilage is removed naturally through fermentation. The mill is thoughtfully designed for water efficiency, recycling the water used to move the beans during processing and ensuring that water used for depulping and washing is properly treated. The drying stage takes place under sunlight. A pre-drying phase occurs on cement-tiled patios, followed by a second phase on raised beds.