July 23, 2013

Guatemala La Esperanza, our long lost friend.

La Esperanza is back at heart for the second year. We were amazed by the quality and consistency when we started working with these producers Octavio and Otto Herrera last year. They recently sold off big sections of the farm in order to be able to concentrate on the sections that are producing higher-quality lots. Their farm produces primarily Bourbon, Caturra and Pacamara, but the lots we selected are strictly the 100% Caturra. When we cupped all the lots, the Caturra shined above all others.

I had the chance to visit La Esperanza back in March 2013 to connect with Otto and Octavio. After one day at the farm I had a better understanding about their approach to producing delicious coffees. I observed that their slightly wild approach to tree cultivation was giving the cherries more energy. The Caturra trees were not highly manicured. Some of the plants even appeared to be slightly struggling but were producing beautiful cherry.

Since its debut last year, this coffee has become a huge hit with our fans. La Esperanza is approachable making it a great choice for new drinkers and still exciting enough for the connoisseur. Even though we bought 100% of their Caturra production, we only have a limited supply since the lot is not huge.

We were very excited to discover that GQ magazine's Alan Richman is a fan of this coffee. He included it on his list of The 50 Best Things to Eat and Drink Right Now.

We hope you enjoy this beautiful Guatemalan coffee as much as we have. Its like an old friend we are excited to see each year.

-Wille

Harvest season: December 2012 - April 2013

Farm elevation: 1375-1525 meters, Huhuetenango (northern Guatemala)

Process: Fully washed. Cherries are processed at the wet mill on the same day they are hand-picked.

Cupping notes: Honey, melon, milk chocolate

La Esperanza