This is a coffee from Lázaro’s parcel in Agua Dulce. (Lázaro also goes by Lacho!) His father Jesús' family began the tradition in coffee many years ago when Jesús’
father (also named Jesús) purchased a small piece of land in the lush and
much-famed lands of La Libertad in Huehuetenango in 1975. The younger Jesús took
control of this parcel in 1986 and has been working it for many decades, working
with passion and dedication towards a focus on high-quality coffee. His sons Daniel
and Lázaro learned from him.
Today, both Lázaro and Daniel’s farms have a focus on quality coffee. Lázaro instructs
workers to selectively pick ripe coffee cherries, and he carefully manages the
fermentation regime with controlled drying.
Lacho is a judicious picker, leaving the cherries on trees to allow for full ripening
(despite the ever-present risk that an inopportune rain can unexpectedly burst the
cherries before they’re able to be picked). Before fermenting, Lázaro floats the
cherries to remove over- and under-ripe cherries. From there, he ferments in
traditional, open concrete tanks for around 36 hours. He briefly washes the de-pulped coffee at around 20 hours, and he leaves a bit of clean water in the tank-
this method removes the sugary mucilage that has detached from the cherries that
ferment faster, and it allows full fermentation of those that take longer without
spoiling the batch with overly fruity flavors. The next morning, he washes the coffee
using ceramic channels that density sort the parchment, removing both over and
under-ripe beans.
Last year, Lacho was able to install a roof over the fermentation tank (to keep it
shaded and cooler during the fermentation), and he added a sorting screen to his
de-pulper to keep more cherry pulp out and allow for more homogenous
fermentation- he’s very pleased with these new investments!
Lázaro also keeps cows, and he decomposes the cherry with cow manure to return
nutrients to the soil. Lacho has designed and planted his farm using a level curve, which means that rainwater can’t run quickly down a cliff side; instead, the trees act as an obstacle, which helps to conserve and maintain the soils, keeping the organic matter where it belongs. This is another beautiful farm-gate coffee that is lovely as espresso.
Cupping Notes: Marzipan, almond, hazelnut, and chocolate notes
Brew Recommendations: Espresso, drip, French press, pour-over
Varietals: Bourbon and caturra
Region: Huehuetenango
Processing Method: Wet process (washed) and patio sun-dried
Equity and Transparency Pricing Levels
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Sustaining Level: $16 per 12 oz bag (check out subscriptions for deep discounts) | More info below
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Uplifting Level: $20 per 12 oz bag (check out subscriptions for deep discounts) | More info below
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Benefacting Level: $24 per 12 oz bag (check out subscriptions for deep discounts) | More info below
