Podcasts about pacamara

DoubleShot Coffee Company turns twenty-one on March 5, 2025. Mark and Brian discuss the ever-perplexing birthday poster, which incorporates a spray painted chimpanzee ripped off from nemesis, which was originally created as a part of the second human trial for a banana coffee through the spurious American Society for the Caffeination of Primates. Wednesday marks the launch of the Sappy Meal, available at DoubleShot. You too can wear the Sappy shirt seen in the nemesis painting, available at DoubleShotCoffee.com. While you're there, buy a pound of Juan's Montelin Pacamara Natural. Happy birthday to us.

This month, we are doing a test and taste on the flat bottom brewer to find the ONE we will use for our QC process. We shorted down to 2 tools: - The Torch brewer ceramic - similar geometry to Orea - The April brewer ceramic This is Part 4 using an anaerobic process Pacamara from Pillcocaja in Ecuador: https://www.memlicoffee.com/product-page/ecuador-pillcocaja-lot-9-pacamara-inti-rum-oak-barrel-anaerobic PRODUCER | Ana Maria & Nicolas Eduardo Crespo FARM | Pillcocaja COUNTRY | Ecuador REGION | Azuay VARIETAL | Pacamara LOT | #9 / 28kg PROCESS | "INTI" 18-y.o. Rum Oak Barrel Anaerobic for 120 hours DRYING | Slow dry on African beds ELEVATION | 1650-1700 masl HARVEST | October 2021 - February 2022 TASTING NOTES | Passion fruit, tangerine, lime, peach In order to streamline our process, we are keeping things as simple as possible. It starts with the roasting parameter check, color analysis, and cupping. Additionally, we also have a brewing step in our QC. Since I started Memli Coffee Lab in 2019, we settled for the V60 in the cone-shaped category. Nonetheless, I kept accumulating new flat bottom drippers until I realized I had too many of them. It's finally time to select one and only flat bottom Brewer for Memli. Tasting results and data on Patreon. Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on the content we approach every week. If you would like to go further on these topics and are curious about the content behind the scenes, check out our Patreon where we interact deeper with the community: https://www.patreon.com/memlicoffee Check our latest coffee offerings here: https://www.memlicoffee.com/shop To subscribe to our coffees, visit: https://www.memlicoffee.com/subscriptions Want to work with us? Check out our wholesale page: https://www.memlicoffee.com/wholesale Join one of our in-person tasting and brewing workshop: https://www.memlicoffee.com/workshop ______________________________________________________ Follow us & contact us on our other platforms below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memlicoffee Website: https://www.memlicoffee.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYy7gTbYB3JIzM1PYkp81pQ Podcast: https://www.memlicoffee.com/memli-coffee-podcast Email: mehmet.sogan@memlicoffee.com

There are many coffee lovers in coffee industry. They, especially baristas have to have coffee even when they don't want it. Rafa loves Pacamara which is an impressive coffee variety produced in El Salvador. - コーヒー好きの多いコーヒー業界でも特にコーヒーを飲むことの多いバリスタ。カフェインで手が震えることもあるそうです。ラファのお勧めのパカマラは彼の母国エルサルバドル産で、卓越した品質のものもあります。

El Salvador Finca Santa Rosa Raul Rivera Pacamara エルサルバドル フィンカ サンタロサ ラウルリベラ パカマラ

Guatemala Francisco Quezada Yellow Pacamara グアテマラ フランシスコ ケサダ イエローパカマラ

BIENVENIDO A SAN SALVADOR The first leg of my trip in El Salvador is the capital San Salvador. I take a walking tour and connect with warm Salvadorans, indulging in coffee and pupusa. El Salvador's airport is around 40 minutes from the capital, the biggest city in this incredibly interesting country. I arrive in the country in the afternoon and spend the first night in the airport hotel because I don't want to arrive in the city after dark. This was a mistake. There isn't much to see, and I could have gone directly to the city. I get up bright and early and climb into a “chicken bus”. This is a convenient and cheap way to travel in some countries. Travelling from the airport to San Salvador is only 61 cents.  #DontSkipElSalvador El Salvador is great, and you shouldn't skip it. With fewer tourists than in other Central American countries, you have more space to explore. I considered skipping my visit to San Salvador because this is a country with beautiful nature, which was what I was here to see. I discover there is a lot to see in the capital and decide to go and I am happy I made that decision. Though the adventure and beauty of El Salvador remain in the countryside, you get to explore both the city life El Salvador has to offer as well as the picturesque beaches and villages in more remote areas. When I get to the city, I hail a taxi – and have yet another conversation in broken Spanish. He takes me to the hotel I booked through Hotels25.com. I chose a small, wonderful little place called Hotel Santa Elena. EL SALVADOR SAFETY CONCERNS Many people say El Salvador is a dangerous place, another reason I nearly steered clear of San Salvador. Marked as red on Travel Risk Map.com, El Salvador is the fifty-first most dangerous country in the world. It's all about using common sense, a local, Edwin, tells me. Pickpockets aren't a risk, but dark alleys and isolated areas should be avoided. FREE WALKING TOUR IN SAN SALVADOR As you know, I love embarking on free walking tours when I get to a new city. A walking tour is a great way to get a two- or three-hour overview of a city and bookmark some places you want to go back to and see more of it. Edwin E. Carrillo is the owner and operations manager of EC Tours El Salvador, a company he started six years ago that offers walking tours of San Salvador, volcano tours, hikes, and more. They were the first company to offer free walking tours in Central America. Post-tour, I speak to Edwin and Estefany Hernandez from EC Tours on the third floor of a parking garage. The garage overlooks Plaza Morazan and the big, beautiful building holding the national theatre. What started as an Airbnb for Edwin quickly became a booming business. He noticed that tourists would stay one night and leave the next day. Deciding that the visitors needed to see more of this fascinating part of the world, he started the walking tours to add value to his Airbnb guest's experience. He noticed that they would stay longer. EL SALVADOR IS THE LAND OF VOLCANOES El Salvador lies in the pacific ring of fire, an area with the most seismic and volcanic activity on the planet. There are around 170 volcanoes in this small country alone, 6 of which are still active, the most active being the Chaparrastique stratovolcano. There have been 26 eruptions in the last 500 years. With an eruption that happened in 1976, lava gushed from the volcano. The structure of the city was influenced by volcanic activity. San Salvador itself was built on at least 20 meters of volcanic ash. Due to the unstable foundation skyscrapers cannot be built and wiring can be seen everywhere. No underground building activity can take place. If you find the ground shaking beneath you, Estefany tells us not to be scared. Tremors are registered every day, and earthquakes around once or twice a month. Just another day in El Salvador. The fit and brave can even hike up one of the oldest and highest volcanoes in the country, the Santa Anna volcano which last erupted in 2005. On top of the crater, you overlook a greenish sulphur lagoon. This is something I do later, so stay tuned as I hike up there in a future episode. 6 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT EL SALVADOR: El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. It has an area of just over 21,000 sq km which is about the same as Wales and slightly smaller than the state of Massachusetts. Most densely populated With a population of almost 7 million people, El Salvador is the most densely populated country not only in Central America but in all of the Americas. No Caribbean coastline It's the only country in Central America without a Caribbean coastline. The El Salvador weather is tropical. The rainy season is from May to October and the dry season is from November to April. The national dish is the famous pupusa. A pupusa is a thick corn tortilla stuffed with a savory filling, like cheese, refried beans, different meats like pressed pork or chicken... Or a combination of them all. Dollars and Bitcoins The currency used in El Salvador is the United States dollar. But when I was there in June and Juli 2021 the progressive young Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's experimented in making Bitcoin an official national currency alongside the U.S. dollar. But just about a month ago in December 2021 it was clear that the experiment failed when more than 90% of Salvadorans said that they want dollars, not bitcoins. Bukele who looks more like a rapper than a president with a cap on backwards said in a speech at the Latin America Bitcoin and Blockchain Conference in November, that the answer is more bitcoins. So, we probably haven't heard the end of that.   THE HISTORY OF THE SALVADORAN CIVIL WAR From the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, El Salvador endured chronic political and economic instability characterized by coups, revolts, and a succession of authoritarian rulers. Socioeconomic inequality and civil unrest culminated in the Salvadoran Civil War from 1979 to 1992, fought between the military-led government backed by the United States, and a coalition of left-wing guerrilla groups. There is a lot of history behind this war with many people losing their lives. During the war, it was dangerous to live in El Salvador, particularly on the north side of the country. After many years of unrest, peace prevailed, and El Salvador became a democratic country. THE UNIQUE WARMTH OF SALVADORANS I quickly discovered Salvadorans are extremely friendly and welcoming. Asking Estefany what makes El Salvador unique, she agreed and believes that the people are what makes El Salvador unique. Salvadorans will always try to help you, even if they must try to speak in broken English. A HOSPITAL SENT TO THE WRONG COUNTRY & THE HEART OF JESUS We pass the Rosales Hospital, a big building built more than 100 years ago in Belgium. The metal parts of the building was then sent to be rebuilt in San Salvador. But someone at the office in Belgium made a mistake that probably got them fired. Someone had the building sent to Salvador de Bahia in Brazil. And remember that this was way back in the 1890's – before the Panamá Canal.   Estefany tells us that El Salvador had so much money that they were bringing materials and buildings from other countries. We visit the church, Basílica Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Sacred Heart of Jesus). This was built in 1913, and again, this basilica was not built in El Salvador but also brought from Belgium. COFFEE IN EL SALVADOR  El Salvador is world-famous for its coffee. Cultivated in the western part of the country, it is made from mixing two different arabica beans. Despite its small size, El Salvador was once the fourth largest coffee producer in the world. Estefany, like many others, claims that El Salvador has the best coffee in the world. The hybrid coffee is made from two different beans, Pacas and Maragogipe. Using the two different beans, they create the Pacamara coffee they're famous for today. What sets this coffee apart? While Estefany highlights the essence of chocolate in its flavour, Edwin explains that coffee grows in altitude. The coffee is grown in mineral-rich volcanoes. Good weather, good soil, and good fruit make for the perfect coffee. I'm not going to decide who makes the best coffee, as I need to keep favour with other famous coffee countries. But I can say, it is amazing. CORA-CORA-CORA The official currency of El Salvador is the US Dollar. Walking through the market we could hear venders shouting “cora-cora-cora”. Estefany explains that this is their way of saying “quarter” (25 cents).   BITE INTO A PUPUSA AND GO TO HEAVEN This is not an exaggeration. People say the food is so good because it comes from techniques and recipes that date back hundreds of years. As I've said, Pupusas are El Salvadore's national dish. Estefany pointed me to a restaurant on the square, and I went and got a few pupusas. As I took the first bite, it was almost like my brain exploded. It was just so good. And then they only costs a few cora-cora-cora. THE BAD SIDE OF EL SALVADOR When I asked Edwin what makes El Salvador bad, he jokes that the pupusas make you fat – and points at his belly. On a serious note, Edwin tells me that there are gangs in El Salvador. But like many other countries, you need to avoid certain areas. You don't hear about anything happening to tourists because Salvadorans protect the tourists. That's all Edwin can say. Estefany's response? It can get very hot during summertime. That's about it. This country is great, so #DontSkipElSalavador My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving. See you.

بررسی تفاوت جوره‌های بوربون و پاکاماراXav Coffee Works | کارخانه قهوه ژاوxav.coffeeمنابع:جمع‌آوری و تألیف توسط انجمن قهوه ال‌سالوادور

Panama Lerida Pacamara パナマ レリダ パカマラ

PRODUCER - Granja La Esperanza COUNTRY - Colombia REGION - Valle de Cauca VARIETY - Pacamara PROCESS - XO Natural ELEVATION - 1,570 - 1850 meters masl HARVEST - 2021 TASTING NOTES - Tropical fruits, amaretto, brown sugar, chocolate https://www.memlicoffee.com/product-page/colombia-pacamara-xo

PRODUCER - Granja La Esperanza COUNTRY - Colombia REGION - Valle de Cauca VARIETY - Pacamara PROCESS - XO Natural ELEVATION - 1,570 - 1850 meters masl HARVEST - 2021 TASTING NOTES - Tropical fruits, amaretto, brown sugar, chocolate Ibrik/Cezve recipe Ratio: 1:10 Dose: 7g Water: 70g at 150°F Brew time: 1'45 min.

PRODUCER - Granja La Esperanza COUNTRY - Colombia REGION - Valle de Cauca VARIETY - Pacamara PROCESS - XO Natural ELEVATION - 1,570 - 1850 meters masl HARVEST - 2021 TASTING NOTES - Tropical fruits, amaretto, brown sugar, chocolate

A desire to experiment is one of the big reasons that we love buying from San Patricio El Limon; we've been getting coffee from them since first introduced seven years ago by our mutual friend Raul Rodas (2012 World Barista Champion), and they're just getting more and more awesome each year. The experimentation is thanks to the motivation of Guadalupe Alberto Reyes (known as Beto to his friends), he's been the owner of the farm for 21 years now, and in recent years has really focussed on the farm and on continually striving to improve. He aims to take more care in every step they take on the farm, from picking, to processing, to shipping. Beto's son, Saul, has been studying agronomy at the local college for the past seven years, and he uses his knowledge to benefit practices on the farm. All the family has a part to play in the day-to-day running of the farm, including Beto's wife Maralyn, their children Saul, Elena, and Betio; Betio's wife Mafer; and Beto's brother Felix, who runs their mill. In addition to the family, they employ a team of seven workers outside of harvest. That team manages the weeding, mill upgrades and general farm work. The farm itself is eighteen hectares in size and sits at an altitude between 1,350–1,850 meters above sea level. The farm mainly produces Caturra and Bourbon but has also recently started growing SL28, H1, H3, Maracaturra, Maragogype, Geisha, Pacamara, Caturra and Catuaí (yellow and red). In addition, around 8 water reservoirs have been built around the entire farm in order to preserve this vital liquid and help ensure the sustainability of the farm. It is located roughly an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, which Beto also happens to be Mayor of! He has helped to build and develop the town alongside running his farm – honestly have no idea how he finds enough hours in the day, what a guy! Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé (the National Association of Coffee in Guatemala), but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. As a coffee buying business, we've always liked being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. Over time El Limon has become one of our favourite Hasrelationships, and back in 2013, they were the first producers that we ever bought from directly in Guatemala. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family operates their own wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. They are able to process many lots simultaneously and keep separate days' pickings, processes, and varietals in their own parcels. The wet mill also benefits the local community as neighbours within the region of Palencia also bring their coffees to the mill to be processed. They have had the mill on-site since the very beginning but it's very much an ongoing project and they recently invested in a rebuild, alongside the construction of a QC laboratory, a new warehouse, and accommodation for their staff. Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. You can tell that this is a farm on top of their game. Whenever we visit, all questions are dispatched with exactly the right answer and every suggestion is listened to and taken on board. A wonderfully straight forward, easy drinking coffee, it's a mash up of bourbon biscuits and brown sugar. There's a delicate green apple acidity in there and a little walnut on the finish too, which gives it that great balance which makes you empty a cup and go back for another. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: San Patricio El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Aguilar Altitude: 1,350-1,850 m.a.s.l. Farm size: 9 hectares Varietal: Pache Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Bourbon biscuit, brown sugar, green apple, walnut. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 7 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 86.5 Roasting Information Medium dark – through first, slowing it just a little to help the sweetness develop and then pushing on to the very first pops of second as you finish the roast.

A desire to experiment is one of the big reasons that we love buying from Finca El Limon; we've been getting coffee from them since first introduced seven years ago by our mutual friend Raul Rodas (2012 World Barista Champion), and they're just getting more and more awesome each year. The experimentation is thanks to the motivation of Guadalupe Alberto Reyes (known as Beto to his friends), he's been the owner of the farm for 21 years now, and in recent years has really focussed on the farm and on continually striving to improve. He aims to take more care in every step they take on the farm, from picking, to processing, to shipping. Beto's son, Saul, has been studying agronomy at the local college for the past seven years, and he uses his knowledge to benefit practices on the farm. All the family has a part to play in the day-to-day running of the farm, including Beto's wife Maralyn, their children Saul, Elena, and Betio; Betio's wife Mafer; and Beto's brother Felix, who runs their mill. In addition to the family, they employ a team of seven workers outside of harvest. That team manages the weeding, mill upgrades and general farm work. The farm itself is eighteen hectares in size and sits at an altitude between 1,600–1,800 meters above sea level. The farm mainly produces Caturra and Bourbon, with a smattering of Pacamara, San Ramon, and Pache alongside. It is located roughly an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, which Beto also happens to be Mayor of! He has helped to build and develop the town alongside running his farm – honestly have no idea how he finds enough hours in the day, what a guy! Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé (the National Association of Coffee in Guatemala), but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. As a coffee buying business, we've always liked being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. Over time El Limon has become one of our favourite Hasrelationships, and back in 2013, they were the first producers that we ever bought from directly in Guatemala. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family operates their own wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. They are able to process many lots simultaneously and keep separate days' pickings, processes, and varietals in their own parcels. The wet mill also benefits the local community as neighbours within the region of Palencia also bring their coffees to the mill to be processed. They have had the mill on-site since the very beginning but it's very much an ongoing project and they recently invested in a rebuild, alongside the construction of a QC laboratory, a new warehouse, and accommodation for their staff. Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. You can tell that this is a farm on top of their game. Whenever we visit all questions are dispatched with exactly the right answer and every suggestion is listened to and taken on board. Expect a big mouthful of sweet caramel at the start, with a fresh lime zest balancing it out and a delicate floral edge on the finish. On top of that, there's a lovely thick and silky mouthfeel which gives the whole thing a creamy, milkshake like quality. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Producer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Pacamara Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Caramel, lime zest, floral, creamy Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 7 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87.5 Brewing Tip Pacamaras have a very unique size, density and structure, so don't expect them to grind like any other coffee. I find going a little finer than I normally would and allowing more time for the grinder to get its teeth into the bigger beans often leads to delicious results. Roasting Information Medium-dark – Keep a steady pace through first crack, into the gap and up to the edge of second crack, but not more than the first few pops as it cools.

0:21 The Weekly Catch UpGeorge opens up talking about the Connor vs Poirier fight, Greg gives a brief recap of his redshirt 46th birthday, somehow George discovers a new-found love for LaVazza at a restaurant, and he also gives us cigar humidor 101.31:05 Coffee SegmentThis week we had Red Roster Coffee on deck. Las Duanas, sourced from El Salvador, boasts notes of dark chocolate, almond, and key lime pie.Red Rooster Coffee Roaster & Cafe823 E Main St.Floyd, VA 24091540-745-7338redroostercoffee.com 49:15 NewsPandemic Erased Nearly a Quarter of US Coffee Shop Market, Report ShowsCalifornia Coffee Farm Valley Heart Ranch is Listed for $14.9 MillionSwedish Roaster Löfbergs Unveils Coffee Station Made with ChaffYour Morning Coffee Hydrates You Almost as Well as Water

S2.EP23 國際咖啡新聞 為什麼帕卡瑪拉那麼的獨特？ world coffee news What's So Special About Pacamara? Powered by Firstory Hosting

Buying coffee is simple, right? A farmer has coffee, you have money...easy! Well, not so much. One of the realities of coffee farming is unscrupulous coffee buyers turning up, promising the world and then not honouring their promises. For this reason, we never ask too much of the producers we work with for the first few years - you have to earn trust. Eventually, they trust us to be reliable and keep coming back. In the case of the Aguileras...well, it took them 8 years or so to warm to us. That’s just how it goes sometimes. Here at Hasbean, we love to celebrate the awesome things that happen when strong relationships are built between roasters and producers, and Finca Licho is a shining example of that ethos. We first bought from this farm way back in 2007 when it was awarded 4th place in the Cup of Excellence. Fast forward thirteen years (gosh I feel old now), and Licho has become a firm favourite – both with customers and our little Hasbean team. The arrival of coffees from Finca Licho is greatly anticipated every year. The farm is owned and run by Los Hermanos Aguilera. It's often translated as 'The Aguilera Brothers', but everyone is involved, not just the boys! The family of twelve brothers and sisters inherited the business from their parents, who started their coffee-growing career over 50 years ago. With the help of the third generation, the family work the farm with basically no hired labour except for during the harvest. They manage the mill and drying patios, fertilise, prune the coffee trees, and so on. They do it all themselves, and all year round. The Aguileras have a reputation for their deep understanding of quality at the farm and mill level, and this is why we are excited about working with them. Situated 1,500 metres above sea level in the region of Naranjo, the farm is located in the volcanic Northern Cordiles corridor of the Western Valley, which is an area famous for its excellent coffee production. The majority of the coffee grown at Finca Licho is Villa Sarchi variety, but there's a smidge of Caturra too (they're about 65% and 25% of production respectively). The remainder of coffee production is made up of a mixture of more unusual varieties, some of which (this Geisha lot!) we've been able to snag this year now that they're established enough to provide a crop. This coffee is yellow honey processed, which is just like the Pulped Natural method. The fruit is removed from the seed of the coffee bush and left to dry. The main difference is that there is no water involved when the cherry is removed, so mucilage sticks to the bean. This can be dangerous, but it's necessary in these parts of Costa Rica where water is limited: water is a precious commodity in this area of Naranjo, so this method suits the location very well. The coffee ends up clustering whilst drying because there is so much mucilage. So the coffee either needs to be turned regularly to stop this happening, or it has to be broken up. Over-fermentation can happen at this stage and you can end up with a not-so-good cup, but the Aguilera brothers are well-versed in this method and are some of the most skilled in Costa Rica. We’ve loved the Licho Villa Sarchi Yellow Honey since we first tried it, but this year we’ve got loads of other coffees from the Hermanos Aguileras! Two naturals from Licho, Villa Sarchi from Finca Toño, Pacamara and this, their Geisha. We’re super proud that we pay fair prices for all our coffees, but it isn’t just about a price per kilogram - it’s about how much you buy. Because we’re buying loads of coffee from them, it makes a bigger difference than if we just wanted to buy the Geisha on it’s own. With less coffee they’ll have to risk selling elsewhere (and not sure how much they’ll get for it), they’re doing better, so they share that back to us too with a little discount on this spectacular coffee - and we in turn pass that on to you. P.s. did I mention, it was a lot from Licho which finished 11th in this year’s Cup of Excellence competition in Costa Rica? :) Geisha is a varietal that has attracted lots of attention among coffee buyers and farmers, with some super high prices being paid for tiny lots. The name comes from the Gesha village in Ethiopia, where it’s said to have come from. I say 'said to' because it’s believed that coffee stock from this region made its way to Costa Rica (and then on to Panama) in the 1950s, but didn’t find much favour in its new home. As with other experimental varietals that didn’t do particularly well, the plants were largely ignored or forgotten. Some grew wild or mixed into difficult-to-reach corners of farms. That means it’s difficult to be sure how close what we now call 'Geisha' is to those seeds from Ethiopia many years ago. Regardless, Geisha’s reputation suddenly hit the big time around 2004 as it attracted praise (and high prices) in the Taste of Panama competition, and it became a must-try for all you coffee geeks out there. There has been talk of the name – Geisha vs Gesha – and we like to listen to the people that grew the coffee. It says 'Geisha' on our bags from the farm, so we're going with 'Geisha'. This coffee is super sweet with big juicy mango. A lime acidity balances that and there's a floral edge to it all which adds an interesting complexity. On the finish I get yellow plums, moving in to orange on the aftertaste. Country: Costa Rica Region: Western Valley Province: Alajuela Nearest city: Naranjo de Alajuela Farm: Finca Licho Producers: Los Hermanos Aguilera Farm size: 28 hectares Coffee growing area: 9.10 hectares Altitude: 1,500 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Geisha Processing system: Yellow Honey CUPPING NOTES Mango, lime, floral, yellow plum, orange Clean cup: (1–8): 7 Sweetness: (1–8): 8 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 89 Roasting Information Medium – give this a little extra time to develop in the gap, dropping it once you're most of the way through the gap and definitely before you reach second crack.

Buying coffee is simple, right? A farmer has coffee, you have money...easy! Well, not so much. One of the realities of coffee farming is unscrupulous coffee buyers turning up, promising the world and then not honouring their promises. For this reason, we never ask too much of the producers we work with for the first few years - you have to earn trust. Eventually, they trust us to be reliable and keep coming back. In the case of the Aguileras...well, it took them 8 years or so to warm to us. That's just how it goes sometimes. Here at Hasbean, we love to celebrate the awesome things that happen when strong relationships are built between roasters and producers, and Finca Licho is a shining example of that ethos. We first bought from this farm way back in 2007 when it was awarded 4th place in the Cup of Excellence. Fast forward thirteen years (gosh I feel old now), and Licho has become a firm favourite – both with customers and our little Hasbean team. The arrival of coffees from Finca Licho is greatly anticipated every year. The farm is owned and run by Los Hermanos Aguilera. It's often translated as 'The Aguilera Brothers', but everyone is involved, not just the boys! The family of twelve brothers and sisters inherited the business from their parents, who started their coffee-growing career over 50 years ago. With the help of the third generation, the family work the farm with basically no hired labour except for during the harvest. They manage the mill and drying patios, fertilise, prune the coffee trees, and so on. They do it all themselves, and all year round. The Aguileras have a reputation for their deep understanding of quality at the farm and mill level, and this is why we are excited about working with them. Situated 1,500 metres above sea level in the region of Naranjo, the farm is located in the volcanic Northern Cordiles corridor of the Western Valley, which is an area famous for its excellent coffee production. The majority of the coffee grown at Finca Licho is Villa Sarchi variety, but there's a smidge of Caturra too (they're about 65% and 25% of production respectively). The remainder of coffee production is made up of a mixture of more unusual varieties, some of which (this Geisha lot!) we've been able to snag this year now that they're established enough to provide a crop. This coffee is yellow honey processed, which is just like the Pulped Natural method. The fruit is removed from the seed of the coffee bush and left to dry. The main difference is that there is no water involved when the cherry is removed, so mucilage sticks to the bean. This can be dangerous, but it's necessary in these parts of Costa Rica where water is limited: water is a precious commodity in this area of Naranjo, so this method suits the location very well. The coffee ends up clustering whilst drying because there is so much mucilage. So the coffee either needs to be turned regularly to stop this happening, or it has to be broken up. Over-fermentation can happen at this stage and you can end up with a not-so-good cup, but the Aguilera brothers are well-versed in this method and are some of the most skilled in Costa Rica. We've loved the Licho Villa Sarchi Yellow Honey since we first tried it, but this year we've got loads of other coffees from the Hermanos Aguileras! Two naturals from Licho, Villa Sarchi from Finca Toño, Pacamara and this, their Geisha. We're super proud that we pay fair prices for all our coffees, but it isn't just about a price per kilogram - it's about how much you buy. Because we're buying loads of coffee from them, it makes a bigger difference than if we just wanted to buy the Geisha on it's own. With less coffee they'll have to risk selling elsewhere (and not sure how much they'll get for it), they're doing better, so they share that back to us too with a little discount on this spectacular coffee - and we in turn pass that on to you. P.s. did I mention, it was a lot from Licho which finished 11th in this year's Cup of Excellence competition in Costa Rica? :) Geisha is a varietal that has attracted lots of attention among coffee buyers and farmers, with some super high prices being paid for tiny lots. The name comes from the Gesha village in Ethiopia, where it's said to have come from. I say 'said to' because it's believed that coffee stock from this region made its way to Costa Rica (and then on to Panama) in the 1950s, but didn't find much favour in its new home. As with other experimental varietals that didn't do particularly well, the plants were largely ignored or forgotten. Some grew wild or mixed into difficult-to-reach corners of farms. That means it's difficult to be sure how close what we now call 'Geisha' is to those seeds from Ethiopia many years ago. Regardless, Geisha's reputation suddenly hit the big time around 2004 as it attracted praise (and high prices) in the Taste of Panama competition, and it became a must-try for all you coffee geeks out there. There has been talk of the name – Geisha vs Gesha – and we like to listen to the people that grew the coffee. It says 'Geisha' on our bags from the farm, so we're going with 'Geisha'. This coffee is super sweet with big juicy mango. A lime acidity balances that and there's a floral edge to it all which adds an interesting complexity. On the finish I get yellow plums, moving in to orange on the aftertaste. Country: Costa Rica Region: Western Valley Province: Alajuela Nearest city: Naranjo de Alajuela Farm: Finca Licho Producers: Los Hermanos Aguilera Farm size: 28 hectares Coffee growing area: 9.10 hectares Altitude: 1,500 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Geisha Processing system: Yellow Honey CUPPING NOTES Mango, lime, floral, yellow plum, orange Clean cup: (1–8): 7 Sweetness: (1–8): 8 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 89 Roasting Information Medium – give this a little extra time to develop in the gap, dropping it once you're most of the way through the gap and definitely before you reach second crack.

Roast With Memli - Ep.5 - El Salvador Pacamara Micro-lot by Memli Coffee Lab

Nicaragua El Porvenir Pacamara Natural / ニカラグア エル ポルベニール ナチュラル

Nicaragua La Bendicion Pacamara Washed / ニカラグア ラ ベンディシオン パカマラ ウォッシュト

Nicaragua La Bendicion Pacamara Honey / ニカラグア ラ ベンディシオン パカマラ ハニー

A desire to experiment is one of the big reasons that I love buying from Finca El Limon; we have been getting coffee from them since we were introduced by our mutual friend Raul Rodas (2012 World Barista Champion) seven years ago, and they're still impressing me! The experimentation is thanks to the motivation of Guadalupe Alberto Reyes (known as Beto to his friends), He's been the owner of the farm for 21 years now, and in recent years he has really focussed on the farm and on continually striving to improve. He aims to take more care in every step they take on the farm, from picking, to processing, to shipping. They also take care with the agronomy of the farm; Beto's son, Saul, has been studying agronomy at the local college for the past seven years, and he uses his knowledge to benefit practices on the farm. All the family have a part to play in the day-to-day farm running, including Beto's wife Maralyn; their children Saul, Elena, and Betio; Betio's wife Mafer; and Beto's brother Felix, who runs their mill. In addition to the family, they employ a team of seven workers outside of harvest. That team manages the weeding, mill upgrades and general farm work. The farm itself is eighteen hectares in size and sits at an altitude between 1600–1800 metres above sea level. The farm mainly produces Caturra and Bourbon, with a smattering of Pacamara, San Ramon, and Pache alongside. It is located roughly an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, which Beto also happens to be Mayor of! He has helped to build and develop the town alongside running his farm – I honestly don't know how he finds enough hours in the day, what a guy! Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé (the National Association of Coffee in Guatemala), but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. Over time El Limon has become one of our favourite Hasrelationships, and back in 2013, they were the first producers that we ever bought from directly in Guatemala. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family operate their own wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. They are able to process many lots simultaneously and keep separate days' pickings, processes, and varietals in their own parcels. The wet mill also benefits the local community as neighbours within the region of Palencia also bring their coffees to the mill to be processed. They have had the mill on-site since the very beginning but it's very much an ongoing project and they recently invested in a rebuild, alongside the construction of a QC laboratory, a new warehouse, and accommodation for their staff. Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. You can tell that this is a farm on top of their game. Whenever I visit, my questions are dispatched with exactly the right answer and every suggestion is listened to and taken on board. As well as being skilled professionals, Beto and his family have always been the perfect hosts whenever I visit the farm. They are such welcoming people and take great pride in showing me around their farm. One of the kindest things they've done for me is to welcome me into their home when I am visiting, and they always prepare the most amazing meals! Every time I'm round they cook a dish called Kak'ik (basically translates to 'red and spicy' from Mayan). It's like a broth with a whole turkey leg in it, and it's BOSTIN! It is indeed very red, but it's not terribly spicy unless you want it to be, and it's arguably the national dish of Guatemala, with versions of it having been made since long before the Spaniards showed up. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. Traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket, and I always look forward to the food – but mainly I look forward to the company. The natural processing brings loads of sweet fruit flavours to this cup. There's soft figs, bruised plums and sultana. There's a brandy edge to that, but it finishes sweet again with brown sugar. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Producer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Caturra Processing method: Natural CUPPING NOTES Fig, bruised plum, sultana, brandy, brown sugar Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Roasting Information Medium-dark – through first, don't let it run away but keep the temperature going up steadily, and drop with those first pops of second in the cooling tray.

A desire to experiment is one of the big reasons that I love buying from Finca El Limon; we have been getting coffee from them since we were introduced by our mutual friend Raul Rodas (2012 World Barista Champion) seven years ago, and they're still impressing me! The experimentation is thanks to the motivation of Guadalupe Alberto Reyes (known as Beto to his friends), He's been the owner of the farm for 21 years now, and in recent years he has really focussed on the farm and on continually striving to improve. He aims to take more care in every step they take on the farm, from picking, to processing, to shipping. They also take care with the agronomy of the farm; Beto's son, Saul, has been studying agronomy at the local college for the past seven years, and he uses his knowledge to benefit practices on the farm. All the family have a part to play in the day-to-day farm running, including Beto's wife Maralyn; their children Saul, Elena, and Betio; Betio's wife Mafer; and Beto's brother Felix, who runs their mill. In addition to the family, they employ a team of seven workers outside of harvest. That team manages the weeding, mill upgrades and general farm work. The farm itself is eighteen hectares in size and sits at an altitude between 1600–1800 metres above sea level. The farm mainly produces Caturra and Bourbon, with a smattering of Pacamara, San Ramon, and Pache alongside. It is located roughly an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, which Beto also happens to be Mayor of! He has helped to build and develop the town alongside running his farm – I honestly don't know how he finds enough hours in the day, what a guy! Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé (the National Association of Coffee in Guatemala), but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. Over time El Limon has become one of our favourite Hasrelationships, and back in 2013, they were the first producers that we ever bought from directly in Guatemala. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family operate their own wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. They are able to process many lots simultaneously and keep separate days' pickings, processes, and varietals in their own parcels. The wet mill also benefits the local community as neighbours within the region of Palencia also bring their coffees to the mill to be processed. They have had the mill on-site since the very beginning but it's very much an ongoing project and they recently invested in a rebuild, alongside the construction of a QC laboratory, a new warehouse, and accommodation for their staff. Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. You can tell that this is a farm on top of their game. Whenever I visit, my questions are dispatched with exactly the right answer and every suggestion is listened to and taken on board. As well as being skilled professionals, Beto and his family have always been the perfect hosts whenever I visit the farm. They are such welcoming people and take great pride in showing me around their farm. One of the kindest things they've done for me is to welcome me into their home when I am visiting, and they always prepare the most amazing meals! Every time I'm round they cook a dish called Kak'ik (basically translates to 'red and spicy' from Mayan). It's like a broth with a whole turkey leg in it, and it's BOSTIN! It is indeed very red, but it’s not terribly spicy unless you want it to be, and it's arguably the national dish of Guatemala, with versions of it having been made since long before the Spaniards showed up. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. Traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket, and I always look forward to the food – but mainly I look forward to the company. The natural processing brings loads of sweet fruit flavours to this cup. There's soft figs, bruised plums and sultana. There's a brandy edge to that, but it finishes sweet again with brown sugar. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Producer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Caturra Processing method: Natural CUPPING NOTES Fig, bruised plum, sultana, brandy, brown sugar Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Roasting Information Medium-dark – through first, don't let it run away but keep the temperature going up steadily, and drop with those first pops of second in the cooling tray.

The story of Hasbean and Finca Limoncillo is a long and exciting one - we've been working together for 13 years now! A bakers' dozen of coffee harvests shared between Matagalpa and Stafford make us very happy customers. I've been telling the story of this relationship for many years now and I don't intend to stop any time soon because it's such a big, big, big relationship for me

The story of Hasbean and Finca Limoncillo is a long and exciting one - we've been working together for 13 years now! A bakers' dozen of coffee harvests shared between Matagalpa and Stafford make us very happy customers. I've been telling the story of this relationship for many years now and I don't intend to stop any time soon because it's such a big, big, big relationship for me

Welcome to Recap, a brief overview of recent coffee developments every two weeks from the Specialty Coffee Association, made possible with the support of DaVinci. Special Thanks to Our Sponsor, DaVinciThis episode of Recap is made possible with support from DaVinci. With its heritage in specialty coffee and expertise in trends and menu innovation, DaVinci is the beverage brand of choice for the foodservice professional. Their product range is designed to provide end-to-end solutions and support specialty coffee professionals in their mission to create inspirational beverages. Follow us at DaVinci Europe, DaVinci North America, or using #WeAreDaVinciGourmet. Last week, Arabica coffee futures rose to US$1.27 per pound, up from this year's low of US$0.92 per pound in June. But there's little cause for celebration: the rise in price can be attributed to a shifting relationship between currencies. Although coffee is traded in US dollars on the Intercontinental Exchange, local production costs of the biggest coffee producer are measured in Brazilian reales. As a result, coffee prices tend to rise when the real strengthens against the dollar, as it has been doing for the past few weeks. The interplay of exchange rates adds a layer of complexity to C market price, especially when other currencies don't have a similar relationship with the US dollar. A drop in the real against the dollar usually means the dollar goes further in covering Brazilian farmers' costs. However, if another coffee producing country's currency remains stable, the dollar will be worth the same in worker wages and fertilizer as it's always been—but the producer will receive less.One of Beirut's first specialty coffee shops is seeking support to rebuild following a devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut last Tuesday, August 4. Located within 2km of the blast site, Kalei Coffee Co.'s Mar Mikhael coffee shop first opened in 2015, preserving a 1950s house abandoned in 1984 during Lebanon's civil war. Kalei Coffee, like many businesses in Beirut, had just survived a two-month closure during Lebanon's COVID-19 lockdown. Across social media, the Kalei team confirmed that they all survived the explosion but acknowledged that the damage to the shop is considerable. The message continues: “The thought of rebuilding is definitely not our first instinct, because we reject the idea that our people should continue to accept to be called ‘resilient' at the price of starting over and over again this way.” However, messages of support have encouraged the team to start a fund to rebuild Kalei Mar Mikahel, with any donations beyond what's required sent to a trusted, local NGO. Despite opening at a lowered base price to account for pandemic-related financial hardship, the 17th El Salvador Cup of Excellence Auction set a new price per pound record of US$23.53, nearly US$10 higher than the previous record set in 2017. The winning lot, a natural anaerobic process Pacamara from Roberto Samuel Ulloa Vilanova of Finca Divinia Providencia, received US$80.10 per pound, the second-highest price paid in the Salvadoran competition's history. As with previous years, nearly 65 percent of this year's top-scoring coffees were Pacamaras, a cross between the Pacas and Marigogipe varieties, grown primarily in El Salvador. While capable of producing exceptional cup quality, Pacamara is highly susceptible to coffee leaf rust, coffee berry disease, and nematodes. A recent survey by the nonprofit Hanns R. Neumann Stifung, or “HRNS,” suggests that COVID-19 will have a long term impact on the livelihood of smallholder families. The survey solicited responses from smallholder farmers across Indonesia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Brazil, Guatemala, and Honduras. Echoing other recent surveys by the International Coffee Organization and Caravela Coffee, the HRNS survey results suggest that the effects of climate change might be more difficult to manage for smallholders. The ongoing pandemic makes it difficult to access farm labor and resources used in coffee production like equipment and fertilizers, both of which are often used to mitigate the effects of climate change like drought and increased pest activity. According to the survey report, “farmer families face higher production costs at a prospect of lower revenues.” Given the C market's continued volatility and the impact that currency exchange rates have on how far revenues might—or might not—stretch to cover farm costs, this is a grim prospect for smallholder coffee farmers everywhere. This episode of Recap was made possible with the support of DaVinci. If you want to dive deeper into anything you heard today, check out the links in the description of this episode. Recap will be back in two weeks' time. Thanks for listening. Further Reading:  With USD Slump, Sugar Becomes Sweeter and Coffee Percolates to the Upside (Investing.com) Help Us Fix Kalei Mar Mikhael #Beirut Explosion (GoFundMe) Message to Kalei Friends (Facebook) / Message to Kalei Friends (Instagram) Beirut: Kalei Coffee's Beautiful Vision for Cafe Culture in Lebanon (Sprudge) Beirut Baristas Try to Revive City's Once Vibrant Cafe Culture (The Guardian)  Beirut Residents Mourn Destruction Amid Transformed Cityscape (Reuters)  Lebanon Restaurants on the Brink: Corona Intensifies Economic Crisis (Saudi Gazette) Kalei Coffee Co.  El Salvador Cup of Excellence 2020 Results  Alliance for Coffee Excellence  El Salvador 2020 - Cup of Excellence  Pacamara - Variety Catalog, World Coffee Research  Impact of COVID-19 on Smallholder Families' Livelihoods (Hanns R. Neumann Stifung)

https://www.memlicoffee.com/product-page/maria-rivera

A desire to experiment is one of the big reasons that I love buying from Finca El Limon; we have been getting coffee from them since we were introduced by our mutual friend Raul Rodas (2012 World Barista Champion) seven years ago, and they're still impressing me! The experimentation is thanks to the motivation of Guadalupe Alberto Reyes (known as Beto to his friends), He's been the owner of the farm for 21 years now, and in recent years he has really focussed on the farm and on continually striving to improve. He aims to take more care in every step they take on the farm, from picking, to processing, to shipping. They also take care with the agronomy of the farm; Beto's son, Saul, has been studying agronomy at the local college for the past seven years, and he uses his knowledge to benefit practices on the farm. All the family have a part to play in the day-to-day farm running, including Beto's wife Maralyn; their children Saul, Elena, and Betio; Betio's wife Mafer; and Beto's brother Felix, who runs their mill. In addition to the family, they employ a team of seven workers outside of harvest. That team manages the weeding, mill upgrades and general farm work. The farm itself is eighteen hectares in size and sits at an altitude between 1600–1800 metres above sea level. The farm mainly produces Caturra and Bourbon, with a smattering of Pacamara, San Ramon, and Pache alongside. It is located roughly an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, which Beto also happens to be Mayor of! He has helped to build and develop the town alongside running his farm – I honestly don't know how he finds enough hours in the day, what a guy! Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé (the National Association of Coffee in Guatemala), but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. Over time El Limon has become one of our favourite Hasrelationships, and back in 2013, they were the first producers that we ever bought from directly in Guatemala. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family operate their own wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. They are able to process many lots simultaneously and keep separate days' pickings, processes, and varietals in their own parcels. The wet mill also benefits the local community as neighbours within the region of Palencia also bring their coffees to the mill to be processed. They have had the mill on-site since the very beginning but it's very much an ongoing project and they recently invested in a rebuild, alongside the construction of a QC laboratory, a new warehouse, and accommodation for their staff. Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. You can tell that this is a farm on top of their game. Whenever I visit, my questions are dispatched with exactly the right answer and every suggestion is listened to and taken on board. As well as being skilled professionals, Beto and his family have always been the perfect hosts whenever I visit the farm. They are such welcoming people and take great pride in showing me around their farm. One of the kindest things they've done for me is to welcome me into their home when I am visiting, and they always prepare the most amazing meals! Every time I'm round they cook a dish called Kak'ik (basically translates to 'red and spicy' from Mayan). It's like a broth with a whole turkey leg in it, and it's BOSTIN! It is indeed very red, but it’s not terribly spicy unless you want it to be, and it's arguably the national dish of Guatemala, with versions of it having been made since long before the Spaniards showed up. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. Traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket, and I always look forward to the food – but mainly I look forward to the company. This is a classic easy drinker – it's all sweet malted milk biscuit covered in milk chocolate (some may say a moo cow biscuit!). As it cools, that milk chocolate becomes chocolate orange, with just a little red apple appearing on the aftertaste. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Caturra Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Malted milk biscuit, milk chocolate, orange, red apple Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 86 Roast Information Medium-dark – keep this pretty balanced in its profile. Go through first, push it through the gap until you get to the cusp of second, and drop.

A desire to experiment is one of the big reasons that I love buying from Finca El Limon; we have been getting coffee from them since we were introduced by our mutual friend Raul Rodas (2012 World Barista Champion) seven years ago, and they're still impressing me! The experimentation is thanks to the motivation of Guadalupe Alberto Reyes (known as Beto to his friends), He's been the owner of the farm for 21 years now, and in recent years he has really focussed on the farm and on continually striving to improve. He aims to take more care in every step they take on the farm, from picking, to processing, to shipping. They also take care with the agronomy of the farm; Beto's son, Saul, has been studying agronomy at the local college for the past seven years, and he uses his knowledge to benefit practices on the farm. All the family have a part to play in the day-to-day farm running, including Beto's wife Maralyn; their children Saul, Elena, and Betio; Betio's wife Mafer; and Beto's brother Felix, who runs their mill. In addition to the family, they employ a team of seven workers outside of harvest. That team manages the weeding, mill upgrades and general farm work. The farm itself is eighteen hectares in size and sits at an altitude between 1600–1800 metres above sea level. The farm mainly produces Caturra and Bourbon, with a smattering of Pacamara, San Ramon, and Pache alongside. It is located roughly an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, which Beto also happens to be Mayor of! He has helped to build and develop the town alongside running his farm – I honestly don't know how he finds enough hours in the day, what a guy! Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé (the National Association of Coffee in Guatemala), but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. Over time El Limon has become one of our favourite Hasrelationships, and back in 2013, they were the first producers that we ever bought from directly in Guatemala. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family operate their own wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. They are able to process many lots simultaneously and keep separate days' pickings, processes, and varietals in their own parcels. The wet mill also benefits the local community as neighbours within the region of Palencia also bring their coffees to the mill to be processed. They have had the mill on-site since the very beginning but it's very much an ongoing project and they recently invested in a rebuild, alongside the construction of a QC laboratory, a new warehouse, and accommodation for their staff. Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. You can tell that this is a farm on top of their game. Whenever I visit, my questions are dispatched with exactly the right answer and every suggestion is listened to and taken on board. As well as being skilled professionals, Beto and his family have always been the perfect hosts whenever I visit the farm. They are such welcoming people and take great pride in showing me around their farm. One of the kindest things they've done for me is to welcome me into their home when I am visiting, and they always prepare the most amazing meals! Every time I'm round they cook a dish called Kak'ik (basically translates to 'red and spicy' from Mayan). It's like a broth with a whole turkey leg in it, and it's BOSTIN! It is indeed very red, but it's not terribly spicy unless you want it to be, and it's arguably the national dish of Guatemala, with versions of it having been made since long before the Spaniards showed up. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. Traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket, and I always look forward to the food – but mainly I look forward to the company. This is a classic easy drinker – it's all sweet malted milk biscuit covered in milk chocolate (some may say a moo cow biscuit!). As it cools, that milk chocolate becomes chocolate orange, with just a little red apple appearing on the aftertaste. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Caturra Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Malted milk biscuit, milk chocolate, orange, red apple Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 86 Roast Information Medium-dark – keep this pretty balanced in its profile. Go through first, push it through the gap until you get to the cusp of second, and drop.

Guatemala COE 2019 Guatalon Pacamara グアテマラ COE 2019 グアタロン パカマラ https://coffee.liloinveve.com/collections/coffee/products/limited-guatemala

A desire to experiment is one of the big reasons that I love buying from Finca El Limon; we have been getting coffee from them since we were introduced by our mutual friend Raul Rodas (2012 World Barista Champion) 7 years ago, and they're still impressing me! The experimentation is thanks to the motivation of Guadalupe Alberto Reyes (known as Beto to his friends), he's been the owner of the farm for 21 years now and in recent years he has really focussed on the farm and on continually striving to improve. He aims to take more care in every step they take - from picking, to processing, to shipping. Also in the agronomy of the farm, as Beto's son Saul has been studying agronomy at the local college for the past 7 years and using his knowledge to benefit practices on the farm. All the family have a part to play in the day-to-day running, including Beto's wife Maralyn, their children Saul, Elena, and Betio plus his wife Mafer, and Beto's brother Felix who runs their mill. In addition to the family, they employ a team of 7 outside of harvest that manages the weeding, mill upgrades and general farm work. The farm itself is 18 hectares in size and sits at an altitude between 1600 - 1800 metres above sea level. The farm mainly produces Caturra and Bourbon, with a smattering of Pacamara, San Ramon, and Pache alongside. It is located roughly an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, which Beto also happens to be Mayor of! He has helped to build and develop the town alongside running his farm - I honestly don't know how he finds enough hours in the day, what a guy! Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé (the National Association of Coffee in Guatemala), but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. Over time El Limon has become one of our favourite Hasrelationships, and back in 2013, they were the first producers that we ever bought from directly in Guatemala. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family operate their own wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. They are able to process many lots simultaneously and keep separate days' pickings, processes, and varietals in their own parcels. The wet mill also benefits the local community as neighbours within the region of Palencia also bring their coffees to the mill to be processed. They have had the mill on-site since the very beginning but it's very much an ongoing project and they recently invested in a rebuild, alongside the construction of a QC laboratory, a new warehouse, and accommodation for their staff. Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. You can tell that this is a farm on top of their game. Whenever I visit my questions are dispatched with exactly the right answer and every suggestion is listened to and taken on board. As well as being skilled professionals, Beto and his family have always been the perfect hosts whenever I visit the farm. They are such welcoming people and take great pride in showing me around their farm. One of the kindest things they've done for me is to welcome me into their home when I am visiting, and they always prepare the most amazing meals! Every time I'm round they cook a dish called Kak'ik (basically translates to "red and spicy" from Mayan) - it's like a broth with a whole turkey leg in and it's BOSTIN! It is indeed very red, but it’s not terribly spicy, unless you want it to be, and it's arguably the national dish of Guatemala, with versions of it having been made since long before the Spaniards showed up. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. Traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket, and I always look forward to the food – but mainly I look forward to the company. A wonderfully easy-drinking coffee, this reminds me of a chocolate-coated digestive biscuit, with hints of white sugar and caramel in the background. There's just a hint of white grape acidity, balancing out that full, biscuity sweetness. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: San Ramon Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Milk chocolate, Digestive Biscuit, white grape Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 86.5 Roasting Information Medium-dark - push it through the gap and look for those first pops of second on the drop. It'll take a little extra time in development to build the sweetness, but don't overdo it or you'll lose the nice balance of the cup.

A desire to experiment is one of the big reasons that I love buying from Finca El Limon; we have been getting coffee from them since we were introduced by our mutual friend Raul Rodas (2012 World Barista Champion) 7 years ago, and they're still impressing me! The experimentation is thanks to the motivation of Guadalupe Alberto Reyes (known as Beto to his friends), he's been the owner of the farm for 21 years now and in recent years he has really focussed on the farm and on continually striving to improve. He aims to take more care in every step they take - from picking, to processing, to shipping. Also in the agronomy of the farm, as Beto's son Saul has been studying agronomy at the local college for the past 7 years and using his knowledge to benefit practices on the farm. All the family have a part to play in the day-to-day running, including Beto's wife Maralyn, their children Saul, Elena, and Betio plus his wife Mafer, and Beto's brother Felix who runs their mill. In addition to the family, they employ a team of 7 outside of harvest that manages the weeding, mill upgrades and general farm work. The farm itself is 18 hectares in size and sits at an altitude between 1600 - 1800 metres above sea level. The farm mainly produces Caturra and Bourbon, with a smattering of Pacamara, San Ramon, and Pache alongside. It is located roughly an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, which Beto also happens to be Mayor of! He has helped to build and develop the town alongside running his farm - I honestly don't know how he finds enough hours in the day, what a guy! Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé (the National Association of Coffee in Guatemala), but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. Over time El Limon has become one of our favourite Hasrelationships, and back in 2013, they were the first producers that we ever bought from directly in Guatemala. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family operate their own wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. They are able to process many lots simultaneously and keep separate days' pickings, processes, and varietals in their own parcels. The wet mill also benefits the local community as neighbours within the region of Palencia also bring their coffees to the mill to be processed. They have had the mill on-site since the very beginning but it's very much an ongoing project and they recently invested in a rebuild, alongside the construction of a QC laboratory, a new warehouse, and accommodation for their staff. Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. You can tell that this is a farm on top of their game. Whenever I visit my questions are dispatched with exactly the right answer and every suggestion is listened to and taken on board. As well as being skilled professionals, Beto and his family have always been the perfect hosts whenever I visit the farm. They are such welcoming people and take great pride in showing me around their farm. One of the kindest things they've done for me is to welcome me into their home when I am visiting, and they always prepare the most amazing meals! Every time I'm round they cook a dish called Kak'ik (basically translates to "red and spicy" from Mayan) - it's like a broth with a whole turkey leg in and it's BOSTIN! It is indeed very red, but it's not terribly spicy, unless you want it to be, and it's arguably the national dish of Guatemala, with versions of it having been made since long before the Spaniards showed up. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. Traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket, and I always look forward to the food – but mainly I look forward to the company. A wonderfully easy-drinking coffee, this reminds me of a chocolate-coated digestive biscuit, with hints of white sugar and caramel in the background. There's just a hint of white grape acidity, balancing out that full, biscuity sweetness. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: San Ramon Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Milk chocolate, Digestive Biscuit, white grape Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 86.5 Roasting Information Medium-dark - push it through the gap and look for those first pops of second on the drop. It'll take a little extra time in development to build the sweetness, but don't overdo it or you'll lose the nice balance of the cup.

Las Alasitas is the biggest farm of Fincas Buena Vista in Caranavi where, every year, a festival is held in honour of Ekeko (iqiqu), the god of abundance. It has everything in miniature – but in abundance, just like him! 'Buy me!' said Alasitas. And well, we did! It's all in the name... Las Alasitas (which literally translates to 'buy me' in Aymaran) is owned by the Rodriguez family, who have been doing some awesome things for coffee in Bolivia. They own their own mills, processing and exporting coffee for farmers in the Caranavi and Sud Yungas region. The family has been sourcing coffee from small coffee producers for three decades, but the steady decline of coffee production has put the sustainability of their export business in jeopardy. Without the intervention of people like the Rodriguez family, the future of coffee production in Bolivia is at risk of disappearing. Back in 2014, the Rodriguez family bought land in the Caranavi region to showcase their practices and educate other producers in sustainable farming, as well as increasing the overall volume at their mills. Caranavi is located just north of the department of La Paz city, 150 kilometres from the capital, and is the central hub of Bolivian coffee production. Its altitude and fertile soils make it perfect for producing brilliant and unique coffees. The Rodriguez family prepared the land they bought across 20.6 hectares, where they planted Red Caturra, Java and Geisha. They've also introduced a sustainable model for the producers who supply them at their mill. They built this on three mantras: economical sustainability, social understanding, and environmental awareness – the Sol de la Mañana program. The family decided that they could make a change and make things better. They have taken on the challenge of increasing the production of Bolivian coffee by planting their own new coffee plantations. They are currently also developing woodland on their farm to combat the ongoing issue of deforestation. What superstars! Las Alasitas is a 20.6-hectare farm that's located at 1,550 metres above sea level in the Bolinda colony of Caranavi, Bolivia. Of those 20 hectares, 16 are used to grow coffee. As far as we can tell, the Longberry varietal (also known as Java) is a Typica-type coffee because of its bean shape, as is the Geisha. Its physical appearance is a uniform seed that is elongated, and it has been described by several of our customers as an 'Ethiopian Long Berry type'. A true marriage of classic flavours, from the Longberry varietal you'll get a hit of lemon zest and florals, but the Bolivian land it's grown on gives it extra depth and sweetness and reminds me of golden sugar. It finishes with a return to its distant Ethiopian heritage with a clean black tea flavour. Country: Bolivia Region: Yungas Municipality: Caranavi Colony: Bolinda Farm: Las Alasitas Altitude: 1,550 m.a.s.l. Farm size: 20.6 hectares Coffee growing area: 16 hectares Varietal: Longberry (Java) Processing method: Washed GPS: 15º46'43.07"S 67º32'53.06"O CUPPING NOTES Lemon zest, floral, golden sugar, black tea Clean cup (1–8): 7 Sweetness (1–8): 7 Acidity (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel (1–8): 6 Flavour (1–8): 8 Aftertaste (1–8): 6 Balance (1–8): 6 Overall (1–8): 7 Correction (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 90 Brewing Tip As this berry is long it will benefit from a slightly finer grind than you would use for a more regularly sized bean. Not as much as you would change things up for something like a Pacamara, but a little tweak finer should set you up for deliciousness. Roasting Information Medium - slow this down a little as you go through first and push it through the gap, but don't let it get close to second.

Las Alasitas is the biggest farm of Fincas Buena Vista in Caranavi where, every year, a festival is held in honour of Ekeko (iqiqu), the god of abundance. It has everything in miniature – but in abundance, just like him! 'Buy me!' said Alasitas. And well, we did! It's all in the name... Las Alasitas (which literally translates to 'buy me' in Aymaran) is owned by the Rodriguez family, who have been doing some awesome things for coffee in Bolivia. They own their own mills, processing and exporting coffee for farmers in the Caranavi and Sud Yungas region. The family has been sourcing coffee from small coffee producers for three decades, but the steady decline of coffee production has put the sustainability of their export business in jeopardy. Without the intervention of people like the Rodriguez family, the future of coffee production in Bolivia is at risk of disappearing. Back in 2014, the Rodriguez family bought land in the Caranavi region to showcase their practices and educate other producers in sustainable farming, as well as increasing the overall volume at their mills. Caranavi is located just north of the department of La Paz city, 150 kilometres from the capital, and is the central hub of Bolivian coffee production. Its altitude and fertile soils make it perfect for producing brilliant and unique coffees. The Rodriguez family prepared the land they bought across 20.6 hectares, where they planted Red Caturra, Java and Geisha. They’ve also introduced a sustainable model for the producers who supply them at their mill. They built this on three mantras: economical sustainability, social understanding, and environmental awareness – the Sol de la Mañana program. The family decided that they could make a change and make things better. They have taken on the challenge of increasing the production of Bolivian coffee by planting their own new coffee plantations. They are currently also developing woodland on their farm to combat the ongoing issue of deforestation. What superstars! Las Alasitas is a 20.6-hectare farm that's located at 1,550 metres above sea level in the Bolinda colony of Caranavi, Bolivia. Of those 20 hectares, 16 are used to grow coffee. As far as we can tell, the Longberry varietal (also known as Java) is a Typica-type coffee because of its bean shape, as is the Geisha. Its physical appearance is a uniform seed that is elongated, and it has been described by several of our customers as an 'Ethiopian Long Berry type'. A true marriage of classic flavours, from the Longberry varietal you'll get a hit of lemon zest and florals, but the Bolivian land it's grown on gives it extra depth and sweetness and reminds me of golden sugar. It finishes with a return to its distant Ethiopian heritage with a clean black tea flavour. Country: Bolivia Region: Yungas Municipality: Caranavi Colony: Bolinda Farm: Las Alasitas Altitude: 1,550 m.a.s.l. Farm size: 20.6 hectares Coffee growing area: 16 hectares Varietal: Longberry (Java) Processing method: Washed GPS: 15º46'43.07"S 67º32'53.06"O CUPPING NOTES Lemon zest, floral, golden sugar, black tea Clean cup (1–8): 7 Sweetness (1–8): 7 Acidity (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel (1–8): 6 Flavour (1–8): 8 Aftertaste (1–8): 6 Balance (1–8): 6 Overall (1–8): 7 Correction (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 90 Brewing Tip As this berry is long it will benefit from a slightly finer grind than you would use for a more regularly sized bean. Not as much as you would change things up for something like a Pacamara, but a little tweak finer should set you up for deliciousness. Roasting Information Medium - slow this down a little as you go through first and push it through the gap, but don't let it get close to second.

This is an exclusive coffee only sent to In My Mug subscribers on December the 6th, 2019. I like to spoil you lovely lot whenever I can, and this week is 1 of those weeks! Only enough of this coffee to send out to IMM subscribers, so you're getting all of it, but afraid there’s sadly none to buy :(  Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello belongs to the fourth generation of coffee farmers in his family. His father died in 1995, and after completing his studies at university he had the opportunity to start working in the coffee industry at J. Hill & Cia in 2000. After five years he left J. Hill & Cia to begin his second experience at JASAL. Both companies gave him the opportunity to meet “Grano de Oro” from another perspective, allowing him to learn the art and passion of cupping. He says those are very important in his life, and that they give him the opportunity to apply his coffee knowledge and experience gained through the years. During his time in the coffee world, Neto has participated in various events like the Cup of Excellence (National Jury from 2003 to 2011), Q Auction, Q Grader, and the Star Cupper program organised by SCAA and CQI. The farm, Las Brumas, is located between 45 to 60 minutes from the City of Santa Ana. It has a cultivated area of 60 hectares' worth of coffee yield, all of which is at an altitude ranging from 1,450 to 1,700 m.a.s.l. It produces around 600 bags of coffee each year, and has an area of 35 hectares of virgin mountain at an altitude from 1,700 to 2,000 m.a.s.l. The farm is located in the Sonsonate department near the area known as San Blas. Las Brumas has a very rich volcanic soil, deep and very fertile, which has been generated by different Ilamatepec and Izalco volcanic eruptions throughout its history. One of the most important elements is the micro climate. It's very misty for most of the year, and that's why Neto decided to name the farm Finca Las Brumas. This amazing micro climate is generated when the warm air when the Pacific ocean collides with the high peaks of the Volcanoes Park (Santa Ana volcano, Cerro Verde volcano and Izalco volcano). Due to its location between these three famous volcanoes in El Salvador, this unique micro climate reduces the amount of daylight that the coffee tree receives. This helps the coffee tree to have a very slow photosynthesis, improving the maturation process, and this in turn improves some attributes that are closely related to maturity, like the aroma, sweetness, acidity and flavour. This coffee was produced as part of the brand new and super exciting Las Brumas Wild Coffee Project, the project is to use land for coffee producing that's forest, but to do it in a thoughtful and careful way so as not to remove any of the flora and fauna and so the space remains primarily a forest. This affects the speed of the growth of the coffee (lots of shade) but also provides it with its own fertilisation system, with all the forest floor goodness, and the constant supply of twigs and leaves to continue to enrich the soil.   This is lemon, lemon and lemon. Not just sharp lemon juice, but lemon marshmallow sweetness and lemon zest too. There's a little cocoa powder on the aftertaste, but this is always The Lemon Show. Country: El Salvador Department: Sonsonate Nearest City: Santa Ana Farm: Finca Las Brumas Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello Altitude: 1,450 - 1,700 m.a.s.l. / 1,700 - 2,000 m.a.s.l. Variety: Pacamara Processing System: Washed CUPPING NOTES Lemon juice, lemon zest, cocoa powder. Clean Cup: (1-8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1-8): 6.5 Acidity: (1-8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6 Flavour: (1-8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1-8): 6 Balance: (1-8): 6.5 Overall: (1-8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36   Total (max 100): 87     Roasting Information: Medium Dark - Keep a steady pace through crack and drop the roast just before second gets going.

This is an exclusive coffee only sent to In My Mug subscribers on December the 6th, 2019. I like to spoil you lovely lot whenever I can, and this week is 1 of those weeks! Only enough of this coffee to send out to IMM subscribers, so you're getting all of it, but afraid there's sadly none to buy :(  Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello belongs to the fourth generation of coffee farmers in his family. His father died in 1995, and after completing his studies at university he had the opportunity to start working in the coffee industry at J. Hill & Cia in 2000. After five years he left J. Hill & Cia to begin his second experience at JASAL. Both companies gave him the opportunity to meet “Grano de Oro” from another perspective, allowing him to learn the art and passion of cupping. He says those are very important in his life, and that they give him the opportunity to apply his coffee knowledge and experience gained through the years. During his time in the coffee world, Neto has participated in various events like the Cup of Excellence (National Jury from 2003 to 2011), Q Auction, Q Grader, and the Star Cupper program organised by SCAA and CQI. The farm, Las Brumas, is located between 45 to 60 minutes from the City of Santa Ana. It has a cultivated area of 60 hectares' worth of coffee yield, all of which is at an altitude ranging from 1,450 to 1,700 m.a.s.l. It produces around 600 bags of coffee each year, and has an area of 35 hectares of virgin mountain at an altitude from 1,700 to 2,000 m.a.s.l. The farm is located in the Sonsonate department near the area known as San Blas. Las Brumas has a very rich volcanic soil, deep and very fertile, which has been generated by different Ilamatepec and Izalco volcanic eruptions throughout its history. One of the most important elements is the micro climate. It's very misty for most of the year, and that's why Neto decided to name the farm Finca Las Brumas. This amazing micro climate is generated when the warm air when the Pacific ocean collides with the high peaks of the Volcanoes Park (Santa Ana volcano, Cerro Verde volcano and Izalco volcano). Due to its location between these three famous volcanoes in El Salvador, this unique micro climate reduces the amount of daylight that the coffee tree receives. This helps the coffee tree to have a very slow photosynthesis, improving the maturation process, and this in turn improves some attributes that are closely related to maturity, like the aroma, sweetness, acidity and flavour. This coffee was produced as part of the brand new and super exciting Las Brumas Wild Coffee Project, the project is to use land for coffee producing that's forest, but to do it in a thoughtful and careful way so as not to remove any of the flora and fauna and so the space remains primarily a forest. This affects the speed of the growth of the coffee (lots of shade) but also provides it with its own fertilisation system, with all the forest floor goodness, and the constant supply of twigs and leaves to continue to enrich the soil.   This is lemon, lemon and lemon. Not just sharp lemon juice, but lemon marshmallow sweetness and lemon zest too. There's a little cocoa powder on the aftertaste, but this is always The Lemon Show. Country: El Salvador Department: Sonsonate Nearest City: Santa Ana Farm: Finca Las Brumas Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello Altitude: 1,450 - 1,700 m.a.s.l. / 1,700 - 2,000 m.a.s.l. Variety: Pacamara Processing System: Washed CUPPING NOTES Lemon juice, lemon zest, cocoa powder. Clean Cup: (1-8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1-8): 6.5 Acidity: (1-8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6 Flavour: (1-8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1-8): 6 Balance: (1-8): 6.5 Overall: (1-8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36   Total (max 100): 87     Roasting Information: Medium Dark - Keep a steady pace through crack and drop the roast just before second gets going.

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I first discovered El Limon on my trip to Guatemala in early 2013. At the time we'd never bought coffee directly from Guatemala, but since then this has become one of our strongest and most amazing Hasrelationships. My friend Raul (whom you may remember as the World Barista Champion of 2012!) in Guatemala had been buying coffee from these guys for a couple of years, and he was very keen for me to go and meet them. Located around an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude between 1,600 and 1,800 metres above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes, who's also just known as Beto. He used to be the Mayor of Palencia, and he helped to build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé, but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. One of the main reasons I love El Limon is Beto's desire to experiment; the farm mostly produces Bourbon and Caturra, but he also plays around with a few other varietals. The experimentation is thanks to Beto's motivation; he has really focused on the farm over the last few years. He wanted to take more care in every step they take – from picking to processing, to shipping – and also take more care in the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair: his wife and son also work on the farm, along with Beto's siblings. In fact, his son is studying agronomy at the local college for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family has built a new wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. Previously the mill could process only one lot; now the farmers are able to process many lots, and keep separate days' pickings and varietals in their own parcels.  With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees to the mill where they could get them processed. It's another sign that this is a hot spot for Guatemalan coffee. As time moves on, Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. He showed me lots of new planting during my recent visit, and a lot of building work around the wet mill. He is also building a QC lab and new accommodation for people working on the farm. It was a real hive of activity. Beto and his family have always been the perfect hosts whenever I visited the farm. They are such welcoming people and take great pride in showing me around their farm. One of the kindest things they've done for me is to welcome me into their home when I am visiting, and they always prepare the most amazing meals! When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. Traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket, and I always look forward to the food – but mainly I look forward to the company. This is a mash-up of dark chocolate with sweet and zingy citrus. It starts with peach and lemon, but it picks up a little grapefruit on the finish. The background of dark chocolate sticks with it throughout. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Producer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Pacamara Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Dark chocolate, peach, lemon, grapefruit Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1–8): 6 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Brewing Tip Pacamaras have a very unique size, density and structure, so don't expect them to grind like any other coffee. I find going a little finer than I normally would and allowing more time for the grinder to get its teeth into the bigger beans often leads to delicious results. Roasting Information Medium-dark – keep the pace steady through the crack and look for the first pops of second as you finish the roast.

I first discovered El Limon on my trip to Guatemala in early 2013. At the time we'd never bought coffee directly from Guatemala, but since then this has become one of our strongest and most amazing Hasrelationships. My friend Raul (whom you may remember as the World Barista Champion of 2012!) in Guatemala had been buying coffee from these guys for a couple of years, and he was very keen for me to go and meet them. Located around an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude between 1,600 and 1,800 metres above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes, who's also just known as Beto. He used to be the Mayor of Palencia, and he helped to build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé, but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. One of the main reasons I love El Limon is Beto's desire to experiment; the farm mostly produces Bourbon and Caturra, but he also plays around with a few other varietals. The experimentation is thanks to Beto's motivation; he has really focused on the farm over the last few years. He wanted to take more care in every step they take – from picking to processing, to shipping – and also take more care in the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair: his wife and son also work on the farm, along with Beto's siblings. In fact, his son is studying agronomy at the local college for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family has built a new wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. Previously the mill could process only one lot; now the farmers are able to process many lots, and keep separate days' pickings and varietals in their own parcels.  With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees to the mill where they could get them processed. It's another sign that this is a hot spot for Guatemalan coffee. As time moves on, Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. He showed me lots of new planting during my recent visit, and a lot of building work around the wet mill. He is also building a QC lab and new accommodation for people working on the farm. It was a real hive of activity. Beto and his family have always been the perfect hosts whenever I visited the farm. They are such welcoming people and take great pride in showing me around their farm. One of the kindest things they've done for me is to welcome me into their home when I am visiting, and they always prepare the most amazing meals! When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. Traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket, and I always look forward to the food – but mainly I look forward to the company. This is a mash-up of dark chocolate with sweet and zingy citrus. It starts with peach and lemon, but it picks up a little grapefruit on the finish. The background of dark chocolate sticks with it throughout. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Producer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Pacamara Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Dark chocolate, peach, lemon, grapefruit Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1–8): 6 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Brewing Tip Pacamaras have a very unique size, density and structure, so don't expect them to grind like any other coffee. I find going a little finer than I normally would and allowing more time for the grinder to get its teeth into the bigger beans often leads to delicious results. Roasting Information Medium-dark – keep the pace steady through the crack and look for the first pops of second as you finish the roast.

I've been telling the story of Hasbean and Finca Limoncillo for many, many years now. I don't intend to stop any time soon because it's such a big, big, big relationship for me.

I've been telling the story of Hasbean and Finca Limoncillo for many, many years now. I don't intend to stop any time soon because it's such a big, big, big relationship for me.

Rafael and Carmen De Silva were the first producers I ever met in El Salvador, and Finca La Fany was the first farm I ever visited in El Salvador. This is a relationship that goes all the way back to 2003, and I consider this to be a real foundation stone coffee for Hasbean. Finca La Fany has been producing coffee in El Salvador since 1870, and it's belonged to the same family from generation to generation. Situated on the Santa Ana volcano, the farm provides work for 24 families in the community. It's in a biological corridor that stretches for 27 hectares from Mexico to Panama. It grows mostly Bourbon, but also has a small amount of Pacamara. Carmen and Rafael continually invest in the milling of their own coffee and improving the facilities they have, which has really driven this shade-grown coffee to just get better and better year after year. We think you can really taste the continuous development in the cup; this is one of our all-time favourites, and it's one of the coffees that we'd be absolutely devastated to lose if we were ever unable to get it. This is one of the cleanest Natural processed coffees you'll find. It's green apple with just a hint of a cider edge to it, and shifts into raisins on the finish. As it fades, there's chocolate in the aftertaste, which pulls you back in for another sip. Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Apaneca Farm: La Fany 
Farmer: Carmen and Rafael Da Silva
 Farm size: 20.30 hectares
 Coffee growing area: 20.30 hectares
 Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: Bourbon
 Processing system: Natural CUPPING NOTES Green apple, cider, raisin, chocolate Clean cup: (1–8): 8 Sweetness: (1–8): 6 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87.5 Roast Information Medium dark – through first, let it develop and drop with the first pops of second crack as it hits the cooling tray.

Rafael and Carmen De Silva were the first producers I ever met in El Salvador, and Finca La Fany was the first farm I ever visited in El Salvador. This is a relationship that goes all the way back to 2003, and I consider this to be a real foundation stone coffee for Hasbean. Finca La Fany has been producing coffee in El Salvador since 1870, and it's belonged to the same family from generation to generation. Situated on the Santa Ana volcano, the farm provides work for 24 families in the community. It's in a biological corridor that stretches for 27 hectares from Mexico to Panama. It grows mostly Bourbon, but also has a small amount of Pacamara. Carmen and Rafael continually invest in the milling of their own coffee and improving the facilities they have, which has really driven this shade-grown coffee to just get better and better year after year. We think you can really taste the continuous development in the cup; this is one of our all-time favourites, and it's one of the coffees that we'd be absolutely devastated to lose if we were ever unable to get it. This is one of the cleanest Natural processed coffees you'll find. It's green apple with just a hint of a cider edge to it, and shifts into raisins on the finish. As it fades, there's chocolate in the aftertaste, which pulls you back in for another sip. Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Apaneca Farm: La Fany 
Farmer: Carmen and Rafael Da Silva
 Farm size: 20.30 hectares
 Coffee growing area: 20.30 hectares
 Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: Bourbon
 Processing system: Natural CUPPING NOTES Green apple, cider, raisin, chocolate Clean cup: (1–8): 8 Sweetness: (1–8): 6 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87.5 Roast Information Medium dark – through first, let it develop and drop with the first pops of second crack as it hits the cooling tray.

Rafael and Carmen De Silva were the first producers I ever met in El Salvador, and Finca La Fany was the first farm I ever visited in El Salvador. This is a relationship that goes all the way back to 2003, and I consider this to be a real foundation stone coffee for Hasbean. Finca La Fany has been producing coffee in El Salvador since 1870, and it's belonged to the same family from generation to generation. Situated on the Santa Ana volcano, the farm provides work for 24 families in the community. It's in a biological corridor that stretches for 27 hectares from Mexico to Panama. It grows mostly Bourbon, but also has a small amount of Pacamara. Carmen and Rafael continually invest in the milling of their own coffee and improving the facilities they have, which has really driven this shade-grown coffee to just get better and better year after year. We think you can really taste the continuous development in the cup; this is one of our all-time favourites, and it's one of the coffees that we'd be absolutely devastated to lose if we were ever unable to get it. This is brown sugar, milk chocolate and hazelnut. It's full and round with a delicate white grape on the finish. A chugging coffee through and through. Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Apaneca Farm: La Fany 
Farmer: Carmen and Rafael Da Silva
 Farm size: 20.30 hectares
 Coffee growing area: 20.30 hectares
 Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: Bourbon
 Processing system: Washed CUPPING NOTES Brown sugar, milk chocolate, hazelnut, white grape Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 7 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Roast Information Medium dark – just into the first pops of second crack and drop.

Rafael and Carmen De Silva were the first producers I ever met in El Salvador, and Finca La Fany was the first farm I ever visited in El Salvador. This is a relationship that goes all the way back to 2003, and I consider this to be a real foundation stone coffee for Hasbean. Finca La Fany has been producing coffee in El Salvador since 1870, and it's belonged to the same family from generation to generation. Situated on the Santa Ana volcano, the farm provides work for 24 families in the community. It's in a biological corridor that stretches for 27 hectares from Mexico to Panama. It grows mostly Bourbon, but also has a small amount of Pacamara. Carmen and Rafael continually invest in the milling of their own coffee and improving the facilities they have, which has really driven this shade-grown coffee to just get better and better year after year. We think you can really taste the continuous development in the cup; this is one of our all-time favourites, and it's one of the coffees that we'd be absolutely devastated to lose if we were ever unable to get it. This is brown sugar, milk chocolate and hazelnut. It's full and round with a delicate white grape on the finish. A chugging coffee through and through. Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Apaneca Farm: La Fany 
Farmer: Carmen and Rafael Da Silva
 Farm size: 20.30 hectares
 Coffee growing area: 20.30 hectares
 Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: Bourbon
 Processing system: Washed CUPPING NOTES Brown sugar, milk chocolate, hazelnut, white grape Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 7 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Roast Information Medium dark – just into the first pops of second crack and drop.

This coffee comes from a farm that's actually two farms, but the two farms exist as one farm. However they do produce coffee independently, though. Exciting, huh? Overall the farm is called Finca Sumava de Lourdes, and it's located in Lourdes de Naranjo in the western valley of Costa Rica at an altitude of between 1,670 and 1,790 metres above sea level. The overall farm is made up of two farms called Finca Monte Llano Bonito, which has nine plots of land, and Finca Monte Lourdes, which has six plots of land. This coffee comes from Finca Monte Llano Bonito. Keeping up? Here's a picture that might help... There are ten permanent workers who live on the farm in a custom built workers' camp. All of them receive accommodation as part of their employment. Finca Sumava de Lourdes adheres to strict agronomic practices and ensures the minimum use of herbicides and pesticides. The farmers use MMs (Mountain Microorganisms) and minerals from natural origins as much as they can. It's a farm where the owners enjoy growing many different varietals. If you wandered around the farm, you'd see Pacamara, Mokka, H3, SL28, Geisha, Caturra and Villa Sarchi all growing. Francisco loves to experiment with different varietals to see how they react to the land, and it's thanks to that desire and drive that amazing projects like the Exclusive Coffees 50lb Elite Programme exist. In the cup you get lots of sweetness - like a teaspoon of golden sugar has been poured in there. A delicate peach adds complexity before it finishes on chocolate lime sweets. Country: Costa Rica Region: Western Valley Location: Lourdes de Naranjo Farm: Finca Sumava de Lourdes Sub farms: Finca Monte Llano Bonito and Finca Monte Lourdes Producer: Francisco Mena Altitude: 1,670–1,790 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Yellow Honey Varietal: Villa Sarchi CUPPING NOTES Golden sugar, peach, chocolate lime sweets. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel:(1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 7 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 88 Roasting Information Medium - slow this down to develop it and drop just before you hit second crack. "Quick Look" Guide Golden sugar, peach, chocolate lime sweets.

This coffee comes from a farm that's actually two farms, but the two farms exist as one farm. However they do produce coffee independently, though. Exciting, huh? Overall the farm is called Finca Sumava de Lourdes, and it's located in Lourdes de Naranjo in the western valley of Costa Rica at an altitude of between 1,670 and 1,790 metres above sea level. The overall farm is made up of two farms called Finca Monte Llano Bonito, which has nine plots of land, and Finca Monte Lourdes, which has six plots of land. This coffee comes from Finca Monte Llano Bonito. Keeping up? Here's a picture that might help... There are ten permanent workers who live on the farm in a custom built workers' camp. All of them receive accommodation as part of their employment. Finca Sumava de Lourdes adheres to strict agronomic practices and ensures the minimum use of herbicides and pesticides. The farmers use MMs (Mountain Microorganisms) and minerals from natural origins as much as they can. It's a farm where the owners enjoy growing many different varietals. If you wandered around the farm, you'd see Pacamara, Mokka, H3, SL28, Geisha, Caturra and Villa Sarchi all growing. Francisco loves to experiment with different varietals to see how they react to the land, and it's thanks to that desire and drive that amazing projects like the Exclusive Coffees 50lb Elite Programme exist. In the cup you get lots of sweetness - like a teaspoon of golden sugar has been poured in there. A delicate peach adds complexity before it finishes on chocolate lime sweets. Country: Costa Rica Region: Western Valley Location: Lourdes de Naranjo Farm: Finca Sumava de Lourdes Sub farms: Finca Monte Llano Bonito and Finca Monte Lourdes Producer: Francisco Mena Altitude: 1,670–1,790 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Yellow Honey Varietal: Villa Sarchi CUPPING NOTES Golden sugar, peach, chocolate lime sweets. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel:(1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 7 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 88 Roasting Information Medium - slow this down to develop it and drop just before you hit second crack. "Quick Look" Guide Golden sugar, peach, chocolate lime sweets.

Finca La Fany has been producing coffee in El Salvador since 1870, and has belonged to the same family from generation to generation. Situated on the Santa Ana volcano, the farm provides work for 24 families in the community. It's in a biological corridor that stretches for 27 hectares from Mexico to Panama, and grows mostly Bourbon + a small amount of Pacamara. We first worked with this farm back in 2004 when Hasbean was only Steve roasting in his garage at home, and this was one of the first relationship coffees we as a company were able to buy. Since then it's a relationship that's really gone from strength to strength. Carmen and Rafael continually invest in the milling of their own coffee and improving the facilities they have, which has really driven this shade-grown coffee to just get better and better year after year. We think you can really taste the continuous development in the cup; this is one of our all-time favourites, and it's one of the coffees that we'd be absolutely devastated to lose if we were ever unable to get it. In the cup this is caramel, caramel and caramel. There's a shoulder of sweet orange in there, and a hint of dark chocolate on the aftertaste, but the caramel makes this super easy and moreish. Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Apaneca Farm: La Fany 
Farmer: Carmen and Rafael Da Silva
 Farm size: 20.30 hectares
 Coffee growing area: 20.30 hectares
 Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: Bourbon
 Processing system: Washed CUPPING NOTES Caramel, sweet orange, dark chocolate. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 7 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 88 Roasting Information Medium dark - just into the first pops of second crack and drop. "Quick Look" Guide Caramel, sweet orange, dark chocolate.

Finca La Fany has been producing coffee in El Salvador since 1870, and has belonged to the same family from generation to generation. Situated on the Santa Ana volcano, the farm provides work for 24 families in the community. It's in a biological corridor that stretches for 27 hectares from Mexico to Panama, and grows mostly Bourbon + a small amount of Pacamara. We first worked with this farm back in 2004 when Hasbean was only Steve roasting in his garage at home, and this was one of the first relationship coffees we as a company were able to buy. Since then it's a relationship that's really gone from strength to strength. Carmen and Rafael continually invest in the milling of their own coffee and improving the facilities they have, which has really driven this shade-grown coffee to just get better and better year after year. We think you can really taste the continuous development in the cup; this is one of our all-time favourites, and it's one of the coffees that we'd be absolutely devastated to lose if we were ever unable to get it. In the cup this is caramel, caramel and caramel. There's a shoulder of sweet orange in there, and a hint of dark chocolate on the aftertaste, but the caramel makes this super easy and moreish. Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Apaneca Farm: La Fany 
Farmer: Carmen and Rafael Da Silva
 Farm size: 20.30 hectares
 Coffee growing area: 20.30 hectares
 Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: Bourbon
 Processing system: Washed CUPPING NOTES Caramel, sweet orange, dark chocolate. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 7 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 88 Roasting Information Medium dark - just into the first pops of second crack and drop. "Quick Look" Guide Caramel, sweet orange, dark chocolate.

I first discovered El Limon on my trip to Guatemala in early 2013. At the time we'd never bought coffee directly from Guatemala, but since then this has become one of our strongest and most amazing Hasrelationships. My friend Raul (whom you may remember as the World Barista Champion of 2012!) in Guatemala had been buying coffee from these guys for a couple of years, and he was very keen for me to go and meet them. Located around an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of between 1,600 and 1,800 metres above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes, who's also just known as Beto. He used to be the Mayor of Palencia and helped to build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé, but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. One of the main reasons I love El Limon is the desire to experiment; the farm mostly produces Bourbon and Caturra, but also plays around with a few other varietals. The experimentation comes from Beto's motivation; he has really focused on the farm over the last couple of years. He wanted to take more care in every step they take – from picking to processing, to shipping – and also take more care in the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair: his wife and son also work on the farm, along with Beto's siblings. In fact, his son is studying agronomy at the local college for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family has built a new wet mill so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. Previously the mill could process only one lot; now they are able to process many lots, and keep separate days' pickings and varietals in their own parcels. With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees to the mill where they could get them processed. Again, another sign that this is a hot spot for Guatemalan coffee. As time moves on, Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. He showed me lots of new planting during my recent visit, and a lot of building work around the wet mill. He is also building a QC lab and new accommodation for people working on the farm. It was a real hive of activity. This lot comes from what was once a small and experimental lot of Pacamara that Beto had been playing around with. Four years ago we had it for the very first time when it was much more of an experiment, whereas now it has become a regular offering from the farm. Beto and his family have always been the perfect hosts whenever I visited the farm. They are such welcoming people and take great pride in showing me around their farm. One of the kindest things they've done for me is to welcome me into their home when I am visiting, and they always prepare the most amazing meals! When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. Traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket, and I always look forward to the food – but mainly I look forward to the company. In the cup this is milk chocolate, but extra creamy milk chocolate. There's a subtle hint of white grape, and a nudge of honey, but it's the milk chocolate that comes back to fill the aftertaste. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Pacamara Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Milk chocolate, white grape, honey. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Brewing Tip Pacamaras have a very unique size, density and structure so don't expect them to grind like any other coffee. I find going a little finer than I normally would + allowing more time for the grinder to get its teeth into the bigger beans often leads to delicious results. Roasting Information Medium dark - push it through first and keep a steady pace, looking for the first pops of second crack on the drop. "Quick Look" Guide Milk chocolate, white grape, honey.

I first discovered El Limon on my trip to Guatemala in early 2013. At the time we'd never bought coffee directly from Guatemala, but since then this has become one of our strongest and most amazing Hasrelationships. My friend Raul (whom you may remember as the World Barista Champion of 2012!) in Guatemala had been buying coffee from these guys for a couple of years, and he was very keen for me to go and meet them. Located around an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of between 1,600 and 1,800 metres above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes, who's also just known as Beto. He used to be the Mayor of Palencia and helped to build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé, but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. One of the main reasons I love El Limon is the desire to experiment; the farm mostly produces Bourbon and Caturra, but also plays around with a few other varietals. The experimentation comes from Beto's motivation; he has really focused on the farm over the last couple of years. He wanted to take more care in every step they take – from picking to processing, to shipping – and also take more care in the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair: his wife and son also work on the farm, along with Beto's siblings. In fact, his son is studying agronomy at the local college for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family has built a new wet mill so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. Previously the mill could process only one lot; now they are able to process many lots, and keep separate days' pickings and varietals in their own parcels. With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees to the mill where they could get them processed. Again, another sign that this is a hot spot for Guatemalan coffee. As time moves on, Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. He showed me lots of new planting during my recent visit, and a lot of building work around the wet mill. He is also building a QC lab and new accommodation for people working on the farm. It was a real hive of activity. This lot comes from what was once a small and experimental lot of Pacamara that Beto had been playing around with. Four years ago we had it for the very first time when it was much more of an experiment, whereas now it has become a regular offering from the farm. Beto and his family have always been the perfect hosts whenever I visited the farm. They are such welcoming people and take great pride in showing me around their farm. One of the kindest things they've done for me is to welcome me into their home when I am visiting, and they always prepare the most amazing meals! When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. Traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket, and I always look forward to the food – but mainly I look forward to the company. In the cup this is milk chocolate, but extra creamy milk chocolate. There's a subtle hint of white grape, and a nudge of honey, but it's the milk chocolate that comes back to fill the aftertaste. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Pacamara Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Milk chocolate, white grape, honey. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Brewing Tip Pacamaras have a very unique size, density and structure so don't expect them to grind like any other coffee. I find going a little finer than I normally would + allowing more time for the grinder to get its teeth into the bigger beans often leads to delicious results. Roasting Information Medium dark - push it through first and keep a steady pace, looking for the first pops of second crack on the drop. "Quick Look" Guide Milk chocolate, white grape, honey.

The ownership of this farm has a quite short story, however Maria Jose and her husband, Luis have both been in coffee for a while, Maria Jose represents the fifth generation of coffee growers with six years experience in quality and marketing coffee programs like Cup of Excellence, while Luis, a new grower has a background of nearly twelve years working in the Salvadoran coffee industry as market analyst, and he used to coordinate El Salvador's coffee marketing and developed quality and educational programs. Nowadays, he keeps busy between his farm and searching quality coffees through Virmax Mesoamerica which focused on exceptional quality coffees in several Latin-American countries. La Gloria is a little jewel previously owned by Abel Castillo, from whom they bought it in October, 2009. After a few weeks evaluating soil, vegetative tissue, extension, varietals, and investment needs, Maria Jose and Luis got to acquire this small yet special piece of land located in a well-known area for growing amazing beans. Many experts recognize the mountains surrounding Apaneca for their microclimate characteristics that have prove awesome qualities for growing heirloom and exotic varietals consistently over the years. The name "La Gloria" which in Spanish means "Glory”, was given in honor of Maria Jose's mother who is a big inspiration and supporter for this coffee-couple's endeavor. La Gloria is a 2.6 hectares piece of coffee heaven with an average altitude of 1,450 m.a.s.l. and rich volcanic loam topped with a heavy coat of organic matter. The steep part of the farm is mostly grown to Bourbon and Pacas varietals, but it also has a flat plot or "tablon" dedicated to the exotic Pacamara varietal. Coffee grows below a canopy of ingas and other native trees, that serve as a natural habitat to a wide variety of birds, small mammals, snakes and insects. Sounds of life can be heard from every inch of the farm adding to the atmosphere and the magnificent view of the "Laguna del Espino" and the Guatemalan border mountains. Another great aspect of the farm is its infrastructure. Water tanks and pit-digging were done amongst the cultivars to make watering and fertilizing easier, and also to prevent erosion. Some of the cultural practices being performed this year are fertilization, maintenance of windbreaker barriers, appreciative coffee pruning, stumping and trimming, shade tree pruning, maintenance of "cajueleado" or pit digging practices to collect organic matter, reduce erosion and oxygenate the land, and building a coffee and shade tree nursery for replanting during next winter. An expanding varietal garden with nearly 65 different varietals has been planted for research and educational purposes. Maria José and Luis got this farm and made a commitment for producing the best possible coffee while keeping its faith in hard work, innovation and experimentation. They are very proud and thankful with God because their farm has been also awarded two years in a row by CoE. The milling process was performed at El Carmen mill in Ataco, depulped within few hours after harvesting, fully washed process with 24 hours-natural fermentation of sundried in clay patios for 20 days. In the cup you can expect a sweet biscuity wafer, but then a fruity tropical edge creeps in - not quite Totally Tropical, but almost! The texture is silky smooth and it finishes cleanly with a crisp, delicate hit of Asian Pear. Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Apaneca Location: Cantón San Ramocito Farm: La Gloria Varietals Grown: Pacas and Bourbon, and a little plot with Pacamara Processing Method: Washed Type of Shade: Pepeto, inga sp, and other native trees Average Annual Rainfall: 2,200 mm Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l. (average) Average Temperature: 20ºC Type of Soil: Loamy Mill and company where lot was processed: Beneficio El Carmen, Agrícola San Agustín, S.A. de C.V. Fauna: Armadillo, small wildcats, agouti paca, hawks, pocket gopher, magpie, turquoise-browed motmot, snakes. CUPPING NOTES Wafer, tropical fruit, Asian pear. Clean Cup: (1-8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1-8): 6.5 Acidity: (1-8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6 Flavour: (1-8): 7 Aftertaste: (1-8): 7 Balance: (1-8): 7 Overall: (1-8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max 100): 88 Roasting Information Medium dark - a classic fruity El Salvador, take this just to the first pops of second crack as you drop it, no further please! "Quick Look" Guide Wafer, tropical fruit, Asian pear.

The ownership of this farm has a quite short story, however Maria Jose and her husband, Luis have both been in coffee for a while, Maria Jose represents the fifth generation of coffee growers with six years experience in quality and marketing coffee programs like Cup of Excellence, while Luis, a new grower has a background of nearly twelve years working in the Salvadoran coffee industry as market analyst, and he used to coordinate El Salvador's coffee marketing and developed quality and educational programs. Nowadays, he keeps busy between his farm and searching quality coffees through Virmax Mesoamerica which focused on exceptional quality coffees in several Latin-American countries. La Gloria is a little jewel previously owned by Abel Castillo, from whom they bought it in October, 2009. After a few weeks evaluating soil, vegetative tissue, extension, varietals, and investment needs, Maria Jose and Luis got to acquire this small yet special piece of land located in a well-known area for growing amazing beans. Many experts recognize the mountains surrounding Apaneca for their microclimate characteristics that have prove awesome qualities for growing heirloom and exotic varietals consistently over the years. The name "La Gloria" which in Spanish means "Glory”, was given in honor of Maria Jose's mother who is a big inspiration and supporter for this coffee-couple's endeavor. La Gloria is a 2.6 hectares piece of coffee heaven with an average altitude of 1,450 m.a.s.l. and rich volcanic loam topped with a heavy coat of organic matter. The steep part of the farm is mostly grown to Bourbon and Pacas varietals, but it also has a flat plot or "tablon" dedicated to the exotic Pacamara varietal. Coffee grows below a canopy of ingas and other native trees, that serve as a natural habitat to a wide variety of birds, small mammals, snakes and insects. Sounds of life can be heard from every inch of the farm adding to the atmosphere and the magnificent view of the "Laguna del Espino" and the Guatemalan border mountains. Another great aspect of the farm is its infrastructure. Water tanks and pit-digging were done amongst the cultivars to make watering and fertilizing easier, and also to prevent erosion. Some of the cultural practices being performed this year are fertilization, maintenance of windbreaker barriers, appreciative coffee pruning, stumping and trimming, shade tree pruning, maintenance of "cajueleado" or pit digging practices to collect organic matter, reduce erosion and oxygenate the land, and building a coffee and shade tree nursery for replanting during next winter. An expanding varietal garden with nearly 65 different varietals has been planted for research and educational purposes. Maria José and Luis got this farm and made a commitment for producing the best possible coffee while keeping its faith in hard work, innovation and experimentation. They are very proud and thankful with God because their farm has been also awarded two years in a row by CoE. The milling process was performed at El Carmen mill in Ataco, depulped within few hours after harvesting, fully washed process with 24 hours-natural fermentation of sundried in clay patios for 20 days. In the cup you can expect a sweet biscuity wafer, but then a fruity tropical edge creeps in - not quite Totally Tropical, but almost! The texture is silky smooth and it finishes cleanly with a crisp, delicate hit of Asian Pear. Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Apaneca Location: Cantón San Ramocito Farm: La Gloria Varietals Grown: Pacas and Bourbon, and a little plot with Pacamara Processing Method: Washed Type of Shade: Pepeto, inga sp, and other native trees Average Annual Rainfall: 2,200 mm Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l. (average) Average Temperature: 20ºC Type of Soil: Loamy Mill and company where lot was processed: Beneficio El Carmen, Agrícola San Agustín, S.A. de C.V. Fauna: Armadillo, small wildcats, agouti paca, hawks, pocket gopher, magpie, turquoise-browed motmot, snakes. CUPPING NOTES Wafer, tropical fruit, Asian pear. Clean Cup: (1-8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1-8): 6.5 Acidity: (1-8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6 Flavour: (1-8): 7 Aftertaste: (1-8): 7 Balance: (1-8): 7 Overall: (1-8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max 100): 88 Roasting Information Medium dark - a classic fruity El Salvador, take this just to the first pops of second crack as you drop it, no further please! "Quick Look" Guide Wafer, tropical fruit, Asian pear.

En este episodio conversamos con Víctor Flores Menéndez, barista profesional quien ha representado al país en 2016 representó al país en la Global Barist Celebration Champions en China y también en varios países, grabado el 26/10/2017.

The story of Hasbean and Finca Limoncillo has been told many many times, but it's one that I really love to share. So much of where we are today has come from this relationship, and I'm super proud of everything that's happened in the past, as well as amazingly excited for where we can go in the future. My relationship with Finca Limoncillo began in 2007, and back then we were buying their delicious coffee as part of a buying group. I loved it from the very first time I cupped it, and it was a coffee I just had to get. It was only after the auction closed that I discovered it was owned by a family in Nicaragua who were already good friends of mine, and indeed probably the only people I know from the whole country! The following year I visited the farm with our importers and spent the whole trip begging them to bring the coffee in for us. Eventually, they caved in (possibly just to stop me pestering them!) and kindly did so. This setup worked well for a time, but we received notice a couple of years ago that the importers were not going to be buying the coffee again (and for reasons other than the cup quality). This led to some frantic phone calls and a thorough search down the back of the sofa for loose change to fund buying twelve months’ worth of coffee all at once. There were many, many obstacles in the way of doing this deal, but we were lucky in that we were able to pull everything together in a very short amount of time. The upside of all of this is that we now work directly with Finca Limoncillo instead of going via anyone else, and this is a relationship I’m super happy to have. This coffee has gone from a one-off Cup of Excellence buy to a fantastic long-term relationship. Finca Limoncillo is located in Matagalpa and, at 171 hectares, it. is. huge! Situated at an amazing location, it boasts 9 waterfalls within the farm and is owned by the Mierisch family; as I have already said, they’re good friends, and also well-respected producers in Nicaragua. They’re known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee. The fact that the family are friends helps us drill down into the details of what they do for the people who work for them, and the information continues to prove to me that good people grow good coffee. On the farm, the family: Pay their staff 30% more than what is typical minimum wage. Provide free housing for 60 families. Provide free electricity and running water for their workers' homes. Provide free food for all workers. Provide free daycare facilities for families to use. Provide free healthcare facilities. Employ on-site teachers who educate the staff and teach other skills, such as pottery and weaving. The goal is to help staff diversify their skills. The teachers are also paid twice the wages they would receive in the cities. The coffees we receive from Limoncillo are fantastic and they come from a fantastic relationship. Erwin Mierisch has visited Stafford many times, and it's always a pleasure to have him around. Last time he was over he ended up at a Weird Beard tap takeover in Manchester, talking to two Weird Beards about crazy brewing / coffee farming ideas! A coffee from Finca Limoncillo (the 'Funky Red Pacamara') is used in two of Weird Beard's beers: Black Perle and Double Perle, both of which are mighty delicious beers! This is a Pacamara varietal coffee.  Pacamaras are a little crazy on the cupping table.  Pacamaras are exciting.  I like Pacamaras!  Could ramble on about Pacamaras for a while, oh wait a minute, I did!  If you'd like to know more about this fantastic varietal make sure to have a look at the article I wrote... So why the 'elegant' part of the name? Well, when I visited the farm and Erwin presented the samples, he gave me this coffee...I couldn't get any other word but 'elegant' to describe it, but it's just so different to last year's crazy offering. They told me that this year they had a policy of turning the coffee more often, apart from one lot (see the other natural 'funky' Red Pacamara we're offering), but this cup was quite different. It's a unique Pacamara and may be the shape of things to come with better and better processing. This coffee was described by one of our roasters (Gary) as Wimbledon coffee! In the cup it's super clean, full of creamy fresh strawberries alongside a hint of yoghurt. Country: Nicaragua Municipality: Yasica Norte 
Region: Matagalpa
 Farm Name: Limoncillo Farmer: Dr. Erwin Mierisch Farm Size: 171 Hectares Coffee growing area: 109 Hectares
 Harvest Months: December - February Diurnal Temperature Cycle: Avg High 28°C, Low 20°C Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: Red Pacamara Processing System: Delicate natural process and sun dried

The story of Hasbean and Finca Limoncillo has been told many many times, but it's one that I really love to share. So much of where we are today has come from this relationship, and I'm super proud of everything that's happened in the past, as well as amazingly excited for where we can go in the future. My relationship with Finca Limoncillo began in 2007, and back then we were buying their delicious coffee as part of a buying group. I loved it from the very first time I cupped it, and it was a coffee I just had to get. It was only after the auction closed that I discovered it was owned by a family in Nicaragua who were already good friends of mine, and indeed probably the only people I know from the whole country! The following year I visited the farm with our importers and spent the whole trip begging them to bring the coffee in for us. Eventually, they caved in (possibly just to stop me pestering them!) and kindly did so. This setup worked well for a time, but we received notice a couple of years ago that the importers were not going to be buying the coffee again (and for reasons other than the cup quality). This led to some frantic phone calls and a thorough search down the back of the sofa for loose change to fund buying twelve months' worth of coffee all at once. There were many, many obstacles in the way of doing this deal, but we were lucky in that we were able to pull everything together in a very short amount of time. The upside of all of this is that we now work directly with Finca Limoncillo instead of going via anyone else, and this is a relationship I'm super happy to have. This coffee has gone from a one-off Cup of Excellence buy to a fantastic long-term relationship. Finca Limoncillo is located in Matagalpa and, at 171 hectares, it. is. huge! Situated at an amazing location, it boasts 9 waterfalls within the farm and is owned by the Mierisch family; as I have already said, they're good friends, and also well-respected producers in Nicaragua. They're known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee. The fact that the family are friends helps us drill down into the details of what they do for the people who work for them, and the information continues to prove to me that good people grow good coffee. On the farm, the family: Pay their staff 30% more than what is typical minimum wage. Provide free housing for 60 families. Provide free electricity and running water for their workers' homes. Provide free food for all workers. Provide free daycare facilities for families to use. Provide free healthcare facilities. Employ on-site teachers who educate the staff and teach other skills, such as pottery and weaving. The goal is to help staff diversify their skills. The teachers are also paid twice the wages they would receive in the cities. The coffees we receive from Limoncillo are fantastic and they come from a fantastic relationship. Erwin Mierisch has visited Stafford many times, and it's always a pleasure to have him around. Last time he was over he ended up at a Weird Beard tap takeover in Manchester, talking to two Weird Beards about crazy brewing / coffee farming ideas! A coffee from Finca Limoncillo (the 'Funky Red Pacamara') is used in two of Weird Beard's beers: Black Perle and Double Perle, both of which are mighty delicious beers! This is a Pacamara varietal coffee.  Pacamaras are a little crazy on the cupping table.  Pacamaras are exciting.  I like Pacamaras!  Could ramble on about Pacamaras for a while, oh wait a minute, I did!  If you'd like to know more about this fantastic varietal make sure to have a look at the article I wrote... So why the 'elegant' part of the name? Well, when I visited the farm and Erwin presented the samples, he gave me this coffee...I couldn't get any other word but 'elegant' to describe it, but it's just so different to last year's crazy offering. They told me that this year they had a policy of turning the coffee more often, apart from one lot (see the other natural 'funky' Red Pacamara we're offering), but this cup was quite different. It's a unique Pacamara and may be the shape of things to come with better and better processing. This coffee was described by one of our roasters (Gary) as Wimbledon coffee! In the cup it's super clean, full of creamy fresh strawberries alongside a hint of yoghurt. Country: Nicaragua Municipality: Yasica Norte 
Region: Matagalpa
 Farm Name: Limoncillo Farmer: Dr. Erwin Mierisch Farm Size: 171 Hectares Coffee growing area: 109 Hectares
 Harvest Months: December - February Diurnal Temperature Cycle: Avg High 28°C, Low 20°C Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: Red Pacamara Processing System: Delicate natural process and sun dried

The story of Hasbean and Finca Limoncillo has been told many many times, but it's one that I really love to share. So much of where we are today has come from this relationship, and I'm super proud of everything that's happened in the past, as well as amazingly excited for where we can go in the future. My relationship with Finca Limoncillo began in 2007, and back then we were buying their delicious coffee as part of a buying group. I loved it from the very first time I cupped it, and it was a coffee I just had to get. It was only after the auction closed that I discovered it was owned by a family in Nicaragua who were already good friends of mine, and indeed probably the only people I know from the whole country! The following year I visited the farm with our importers and spent the whole trip begging them to bring the coffee in for us. Eventually, they caved in (possibly just to stop me pestering them!) and kindly did so. This setup worked well for a time, but we received notice a couple of years ago that the importers were not going to be buying the coffee again (and for reasons other than the cup quality). This led to some frantic phone calls and a thorough search down the back of the sofa for loose change to fund buying twelve months’ worth of coffee all at once. There were many, many obstacles in the way of doing this deal, but we were lucky in that we were able to pull everything together in a very short amount of time. The upside of all of this is that we now work directly with Finca Limoncillo instead of going via anyone else, and this is a relationship I’m super happy to have. This coffee has gone from a one-off Cup of Excellence buy to a fantastic long-term relationship. Finca Limoncillo is located in Matagalpa and, at 171 hectares, it. is. huge! Situated at an amazing location, it boasts 9 waterfalls within the farm and is owned by the Mierisch family; as I have already said, they’re good friends, and also well-respected producers in Nicaragua. They’re known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee. The fact that the family are friends helps us drill down into the details of what they do for the people who work for them, and the information continues to prove to me that good people grow good coffee. On the farm, the family: Pay their staff 30% more than what is typical minimum wage. Provide free housing for 60 families. Provide free electricity and running water for their workers' homes. Provide free food for all workers. Provide free daycare facilities for families to use. Provide free healthcare facilities. Employ on-site teachers who educate the staff and teach other skills, such as pottery and weaving. The goal is to help staff diversify their skills. The teachers are also paid twice the wages they would receive in the cities. The coffees we receive from Limoncillo are fantastic and they come from a fantastic relationship. Erwin Mierisch has visited Stafford many times, and it's always a pleasure to have him around. Last time he was over he ended up at a Weird Beard tap takeover in Manchester, talking to two Weird Beards about crazy brewing / coffee farming ideas! A coffee from Finca Limoncillo (the 'Funky Red Pacamara') is used in two of Weird Beard's beers: Black Perle and Double Perle, both of which are mighty delicious beers! This is a Pacamara varietal coffee, but a Pacamara with a bit of a twist (more on that in a mo). Pacamaras are a little crazy on the cupping table. Pacamaras are exciting. I like Pacamaras! I could ramble on about Pacamaras for a while ... oh, wait a minute, I did! If you'd like to know more about this fantastic varietal, make sure to have a look at the article I wrote... As well as being a big ol' Pacamara this is also a lil' ol' Peaberry, a thing that's normally big is a little smaller than you might expect. An interesting mix of unusual sizing that I hope you'll enjoy. Normally the seed of the coffee fruit grows into the green bean we all know and love from 2 fertilised seeds inside each fruit, but sometimes things are a little different a Peaberry is born. When only 1 of the 2 seeds is fertilised it produces a smaller bean that looks like a shrunken version of what we'd normally know as a coffee bean because only 1 seed has grown instead of 2. Some say Peaberrys are sweeter and more delicious than their regular cousins, some people even come to us specifically looking for them because they crave them so much! I'll let you be the judge. In the cup orange and cinnamon meet in a wonderful way. There’s orange acidity with hints of grapefruit and a blackberry hit whilst being thick and gloopy with a spicy aftertaste. Country: Nicaragua Municipality: Yasica Norte 
Region: Matagalpa
 Farm name: Limoncillo Farmer: Dr. Erwin Mierisch Farm size: 171 hectares Coffee growing area: 109 hectares
 Diurnal temperature cycle (average): High 28°C, low 20°C Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: Pacamara Peaberry Processing method: Washed

The story of Hasbean and Finca Limoncillo has been told many many times, but it's one that I really love to share. So much of where we are today has come from this relationship, and I'm super proud of everything that's happened in the past, as well as amazingly excited for where we can go in the future. My relationship with Finca Limoncillo began in 2007, and back then we were buying their delicious coffee as part of a buying group. I loved it from the very first time I cupped it, and it was a coffee I just had to get. It was only after the auction closed that I discovered it was owned by a family in Nicaragua who were already good friends of mine, and indeed probably the only people I know from the whole country! The following year I visited the farm with our importers and spent the whole trip begging them to bring the coffee in for us. Eventually, they caved in (possibly just to stop me pestering them!) and kindly did so. This setup worked well for a time, but we received notice a couple of years ago that the importers were not going to be buying the coffee again (and for reasons other than the cup quality). This led to some frantic phone calls and a thorough search down the back of the sofa for loose change to fund buying twelve months' worth of coffee all at once. There were many, many obstacles in the way of doing this deal, but we were lucky in that we were able to pull everything together in a very short amount of time. The upside of all of this is that we now work directly with Finca Limoncillo instead of going via anyone else, and this is a relationship I'm super happy to have. This coffee has gone from a one-off Cup of Excellence buy to a fantastic long-term relationship. Finca Limoncillo is located in Matagalpa and, at 171 hectares, it. is. huge! Situated at an amazing location, it boasts 9 waterfalls within the farm and is owned by the Mierisch family; as I have already said, they're good friends, and also well-respected producers in Nicaragua. They're known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee. The fact that the family are friends helps us drill down into the details of what they do for the people who work for them, and the information continues to prove to me that good people grow good coffee. On the farm, the family: Pay their staff 30% more than what is typical minimum wage. Provide free housing for 60 families. Provide free electricity and running water for their workers' homes. Provide free food for all workers. Provide free daycare facilities for families to use. Provide free healthcare facilities. Employ on-site teachers who educate the staff and teach other skills, such as pottery and weaving. The goal is to help staff diversify their skills. The teachers are also paid twice the wages they would receive in the cities. The coffees we receive from Limoncillo are fantastic and they come from a fantastic relationship. Erwin Mierisch has visited Stafford many times, and it's always a pleasure to have him around. Last time he was over he ended up at a Weird Beard tap takeover in Manchester, talking to two Weird Beards about crazy brewing / coffee farming ideas! A coffee from Finca Limoncillo (the 'Funky Red Pacamara') is used in two of Weird Beard's beers: Black Perle and Double Perle, both of which are mighty delicious beers! This is a Pacamara varietal coffee, but a Pacamara with a bit of a twist (more on that in a mo). Pacamaras are a little crazy on the cupping table. Pacamaras are exciting. I like Pacamaras! I could ramble on about Pacamaras for a while ... oh, wait a minute, I did! If you'd like to know more about this fantastic varietal, make sure to have a look at the article I wrote... As well as being a big ol' Pacamara this is also a lil' ol' Peaberry, a thing that's normally big is a little smaller than you might expect. An interesting mix of unusual sizing that I hope you'll enjoy. Normally the seed of the coffee fruit grows into the green bean we all know and love from 2 fertilised seeds inside each fruit, but sometimes things are a little different a Peaberry is born. When only 1 of the 2 seeds is fertilised it produces a smaller bean that looks like a shrunken version of what we'd normally know as a coffee bean because only 1 seed has grown instead of 2. Some say Peaberrys are sweeter and more delicious than their regular cousins, some people even come to us specifically looking for them because they crave them so much! I'll let you be the judge. In the cup orange and cinnamon meet in a wonderful way. There's orange acidity with hints of grapefruit and a blackberry hit whilst being thick and gloopy with a spicy aftertaste. Country: Nicaragua Municipality: Yasica Norte 
Region: Matagalpa
 Farm name: Limoncillo Farmer: Dr. Erwin Mierisch Farm size: 171 hectares Coffee growing area: 109 hectares
 Diurnal temperature cycle (average): High 28°C, low 20°C Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: Pacamara Peaberry Processing method: Washed

This coffee comes from a farm that's actually two farms, but the two farms exist as one farm. They do produce coffee independently, though. Exciting, huh? Overall the farm is called Finca 'Sumava de Lourdes' Lourdes de Naranjo and is located in Lourdes de Naranjo in the western valley of Costa Rica between 1,670 and 1,790 metres above sea level. The farm is made up of two farms called Finca 'Monte Llano Bonito', which has nine plots of land, and Finca 'Monte Lourdes', which has six plots of land and this coffee comes from Finca 'Monte Llano Bonito'. There are ten permanent workers who live on the farm in a custom built workers' camp. All of them receive accommodation as part of their employment. Finca 'Sumava de Lourdes' Lourdes de Naranjo adheres to strict agronomic practices and ensure the minimum use of herbicides and pesticides. They use MMs (Mountain Microorganisms) and minerals from natural origins as much as they can for their farming. It's a farm where the owners enjoy growing many different varietals. If you wandered around the farm, you'd see Pacamara, Mokka, SL 28, Geisha, Caturra and Villa Sarchi all growing around the farm. In the cup this coffee starts out with caramel, dark chocolate and a creamy body, but it finishes on a crisp white grape acidity with a deliciously refreshing apple aftertaste. Country: Costa Rica Location: Lourdes de Naranjo, western valley Farm: Finca Sumava de Lourdes Sub farms: Finca Monte Llano Bonito and Finca Monte Lourdes Altitude: 1,670–1,790 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Villa Sarchi Processing system: Yellow honey

This coffee comes from a farm that's actually two farms, but the two farms exist as one farm. They do produce coffee independently, though. Exciting, huh? Overall the farm is called Finca 'Sumava de Lourdes' Lourdes de Naranjo and is located in Lourdes de Naranjo in the western valley of Costa Rica between 1,670 and 1,790 metres above sea level. The farm is made up of two farms called Finca 'Monte Llano Bonito', which has nine plots of land, and Finca 'Monte Lourdes', which has six plots of land and this coffee comes from Finca 'Monte Llano Bonito'. There are ten permanent workers who live on the farm in a custom built workers' camp. All of them receive accommodation as part of their employment. Finca 'Sumava de Lourdes' Lourdes de Naranjo adheres to strict agronomic practices and ensure the minimum use of herbicides and pesticides. They use MMs (Mountain Microorganisms) and minerals from natural origins as much as they can for their farming. It's a farm where the owners enjoy growing many different varietals. If you wandered around the farm, you'd see Pacamara, Mokka, SL 28, Geisha, Caturra and Villa Sarchi all growing around the farm. In the cup this coffee starts out with caramel, dark chocolate and a creamy body, but it finishes on a crisp white grape acidity with a deliciously refreshing apple aftertaste. Country: Costa Rica Location: Lourdes de Naranjo, western valley Farm: Finca Sumava de Lourdes Sub farms: Finca Monte Llano Bonito and Finca Monte Lourdes Altitude: 1,670–1,790 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Villa Sarchi Processing system: Yellow honey

Zach Daggett packed his bags from Arkansas and went to Jalapa, Guatemala to start a specialty coffee shop, La Fabrica. Four years later they have a flourishing business doing small batch coffee roasting, barista training and offering wholesale coffee.   Prior to starting La Fabrica, Zach received his formal barista training through Anacafe (National Association of Coffee Producers in Guatemala), coffee contributor for perfectdailygrind.com and still does import/export work with various different coffee brokers. Enjoy this episode as we cover the following...   Agenda: Ben/Zach find common ground with ties to Arkansas. Zach talks about his morning freshly brewed cup of Pacamara coffee and why it is special - hmm. Zach talks how he first started drinking coffee in college. Zach tells you how a coffee cherry fruit tastes. Zach talks the importance of freshly roasted coffee. Zach gives advice for starting a coffee company. Over and Out.   Links: Website - http://www.lafabrica.coffee/buy/ Zach on Insta - https://www.instagram.com/zdaggett/ Facebook - La Fabrica on Facebook   Sponsor: www.sumatocoffee.com

Este día tuvimos varias entrevistas vía teléfono: con el diputado Norman Quijano, Omar Angulo; en el estudio con el oyente David Yanes y una interesante platica de Café con Gilberto Barahona de Project Origin El Salvador.

Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello belongs to the fourth generation of coffee farmers in his family. His father died in 1995, and after completing his studies at university he had the opportunity to start working in the coffee industry at J. Hill & Cia in 2000. After five years he left J. Hill & Cia to begin his second experience at JASAL. Both companies gave him the opportunity to meet “Grano de Oro” from another perspective, allowing him to learn the art and passion of cupping. He says those are very important in his life, and that they give him the opportunity to apply his coffee knowledge and experience gained through the years. During his time in the coffee world, Neto has participated in various events like the Cup of Excellence (National Jury from 2003 to 2011), Q Auction, Q Grader, and the Star Cupper program organised by SCAA and CQI. The farm, Las Brumas, is located between 45 to 60 minutes from the City of Santa Ana. It has a cultivated area of 60 hectares' worth of coffee yield, all of which is at an altitude ranging from 1,450 to 1,700 m.a.s.l. It produces around 600 bags of coffee each year, and has an area of 35 hectares of virgin mountain at an altitude from 1,700 to 2,000 m.a.s.l. The farm is located in the Sonsonate department near the area known as San Blas. Las Brumas has a very rich volcanic soil, deep and very fertile, which has been generated by different Ilamatepec and Izalco volcanic eruptions throughout its history. One of the most important elements is the micro climate. It's very misty for most of the year, and that's why Neto decided to name the farm Finca Las Brumas. This amazing micro climate is generated when the warm air when the Pacific ocean collides with the high peaks of the Volcanoes Park (Santa Ana volcano, Cerro Verde volcano and Izalco volcano). Due to its location between these three famous volcanoes in El Salvador, this unique micro climate reduces the amount of daylight that the coffee tree receives. This helps the coffee tree to have a very slow photosynthesis, improving the maturation process, and this in turn improves some attributes that are closely related to maturity, like the aroma, sweetness, acidity and flavour. This coffee was produced as part of the brand new and super exciting Las Brumas Wild Coffee Project, the project is to use land for coffee producing that's forest, but to do it in a thoughtful and careful way so as not to remove any of the flora and fauna and so the space remains primarily a forest. This effects the speed of the growth of the coffee (lots of shade) but also provides it with its own fertilisation system, with all the forest floor goodness, and the constant supply of twigs and leaves to continue to enrich the soil. In the cup expect lemon citrus and a lingonberry jam sweetness. The complexity of this cup makes it take a left turn as it cools into chocolate and caramel, “hey Mr Beaver, why are you beavering around with this Cadbury's Caramel sweetness and smoothness?!” (sorry an in-joke for those of a similar age to me!) Country: El Salvador Department: Sonsonate Nearest City: Santa Ana Farm: Finca Las Brumas Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello Altitude: 1,450 - 1,700 m.a.s.l. / 1,700 - 2,000 m.a.s.l. Variety: Pacamara Processing System: Washed CUPPING NOTES Chocolate, lemon, lingonberry jam, caramel, Cadbury's Caramel. Clean Cup: (1-8): 7 Sweetness: (1-8): 6 Acidity: (1-8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6 Flavour: (1-8): 7 Aftertaste: (1-8): 7 Balance: (1-8): 6 Overall: (1-8): 6 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max 100): 88

Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello belongs to the fourth generation of coffee farmers in his family. His father died in 1995, and after completing his studies at university he had the opportunity to start working in the coffee industry at J. Hill & Cia in 2000. After five years he left J. Hill & Cia to begin his second experience at JASAL. Both companies gave him the opportunity to meet “Grano de Oro” from another perspective, allowing him to learn the art and passion of cupping. He says those are very important in his life, and that they give him the opportunity to apply his coffee knowledge and experience gained through the years. During his time in the coffee world, Neto has participated in various events like the Cup of Excellence (National Jury from 2003 to 2011), Q Auction, Q Grader, and the Star Cupper program organised by SCAA and CQI. The farm, Las Brumas, is located between 45 to 60 minutes from the City of Santa Ana. It has a cultivated area of 60 hectares' worth of coffee yield, all of which is at an altitude ranging from 1,450 to 1,700 m.a.s.l. It produces around 600 bags of coffee each year, and has an area of 35 hectares of virgin mountain at an altitude from 1,700 to 2,000 m.a.s.l. The farm is located in the Sonsonate department near the area known as San Blas. Las Brumas has a very rich volcanic soil, deep and very fertile, which has been generated by different Ilamatepec and Izalco volcanic eruptions throughout its history. One of the most important elements is the micro climate. It's very misty for most of the year, and that's why Neto decided to name the farm Finca Las Brumas. This amazing micro climate is generated when the warm air when the Pacific ocean collides with the high peaks of the Volcanoes Park (Santa Ana volcano, Cerro Verde volcano and Izalco volcano). Due to its location between these three famous volcanoes in El Salvador, this unique micro climate reduces the amount of daylight that the coffee tree receives. This helps the coffee tree to have a very slow photosynthesis, improving the maturation process, and this in turn improves some attributes that are closely related to maturity, like the aroma, sweetness, acidity and flavour. This coffee was produced as part of the brand new and super exciting Las Brumas Wild Coffee Project, the project is to use land for coffee producing that's forest, but to do it in a thoughtful and careful way so as not to remove any of the flora and fauna and so the space remains primarily a forest. This effects the speed of the growth of the coffee (lots of shade) but also provides it with its own fertilisation system, with all the forest floor goodness, and the constant supply of twigs and leaves to continue to enrich the soil. In the cup expect lemon citrus and a lingonberry jam sweetness. The complexity of this cup makes it take a left turn as it cools into chocolate and caramel, “hey Mr Beaver, why are you beavering around with this Cadbury’s Caramel sweetness and smoothness?!” (sorry an in-joke for those of a similar age to me!) Country: El Salvador Department: Sonsonate Nearest City: Santa Ana Farm: Finca Las Brumas Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello Altitude: 1,450 - 1,700 m.a.s.l. / 1,700 - 2,000 m.a.s.l. Variety: Pacamara Processing System: Washed CUPPING NOTES Chocolate, lemon, lingonberry jam, caramel, Cadbury's Caramel. Clean Cup: (1-8): 7 Sweetness: (1-8): 6 Acidity: (1-8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6 Flavour: (1-8): 7 Aftertaste: (1-8): 7 Balance: (1-8): 6 Overall: (1-8): 6 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max 100): 88

This coffee comes from a farm that's actually 2 farms, but the 2 farms exist as 1, but do produce coffee independently, exciting huh? Overall the farm is called Finca "Sumava de Lourdes" Lourdes de Naranjo and is located between 1,670 and 1,790 metres above sea level in Lourdes de Naranjo of the Western Valley of Costa Rica. The farm is made up of 2 farms called Finca "Monte Llano Bonito" which has 9 plots of land, and Finca "Monte Lourdes" which has 6 plots of land. On the farm there are 10 permanent workers who live on the farm in a custom built workers camp, all receive accommodation as part of their employment. Finca "Sumava de Lourdes" Lourdes de Naranjo adheres to strict agronomical practices and ensure the minimum use of herbicides and pesticides. They use MM's (Mountain Microorganisms) and minerals from natural origins as much as they can for their farming. It's a farm that enjoys growing many different varietals, if you wandered around the farm you'd see Pacamara, Mokka, SL 28, Geisha, Caturra and Villa Sarchi. In the cup this starts out as dark chocolate and caramel, with a creamy body, but finishes on a crispwhite grape acidity with a deliciously refreshing apple aftertaste. Country: Costa Rica Location: Lourdes de Naranjo, Western Valley Farm: Finca Sumava de Lourdes Sub-farms: Finca Monte Llano Bonito & Finca Monte Lourdes Altitude: 1,670 - 1,790 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Villa Sarchi Processing System: Yellow Honey

This coffee comes from a farm that's actually 2 farms, but the 2 farms exist as 1, but do produce coffee independently, exciting huh? Overall the farm is called Finca "Sumava de Lourdes" Lourdes de Naranjo and is located between 1,670 and 1,790 metres above sea level in Lourdes de Naranjo of the Western Valley of Costa Rica. The farm is made up of 2 farms called Finca "Monte Llano Bonito" which has 9 plots of land, and Finca "Monte Lourdes" which has 6 plots of land. On the farm there are 10 permanent workers who live on the farm in a custom built workers camp, all receive accommodation as part of their employment. Finca "Sumava de Lourdes" Lourdes de Naranjo adheres to strict agronomical practices and ensure the minimum use of herbicides and pesticides. They use MM's (Mountain Microorganisms) and minerals from natural origins as much as they can for their farming. It's a farm that enjoys growing many different varietals, if you wandered around the farm you'd see Pacamara, Mokka, SL 28, Geisha, Caturra and Villa Sarchi. In the cup this starts out as dark chocolate and caramel, with a creamy body, but finishes on a crispwhite grape acidity with a deliciously refreshing apple aftertaste. Country: Costa Rica Location: Lourdes de Naranjo, Western Valley Farm: Finca Sumava de Lourdes Sub-farms: Finca Monte Llano Bonito & Finca Monte Lourdes Altitude: 1,670 - 1,790 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Villa Sarchi Processing System: Yellow Honey

Progr. No. 1358, Transmisión en vivo desde Torre Futura, En la Jugada, Rocola con premios de La Curacao, Cinemark, Boca de Lobo y Dreamland, Deportes con Fernando Palomo, Ronda de chistes, noticias, entrevistas y el top5 de Joao Gilberto.

Hoy conversamos con Víctor Flores, campeón nacional de Barismo 2016, Jonathan Rodríguez, entrenador de Academia Barista Pro y Hugo Hernández, Director Ejecutivo del Consejo Salvadoreño del Café, sobre el próximo campeonato mundial de barismo en Dublín.

Back in 1870, Fabio Morán and Etifanio Silva decided to conquer this hostile territory, sowing coffee trees in one of the highest summits of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. They named the 28 hectares of land Siberia for its chaotic weather conditions along with its difficult accessibility: very apt really. One century later, Rafael Silva inherited the property. It is located at 1,450 metres above sea level. It is shade-grown only coffee, of which we have two varieties; 75% Bourbon, and 25% Pacamara (this is a 100% Bourbon lot). The name Rafael Silva might be a familiar one to lovers of El Salvadorian coffee. Rafael and Carmen are the owners of one of my favourite coffees: La Fany. I visited both La Fany and Siberia farms with Rafael and Carmen back in 2007; I stocked this coffee and loved it. But it fell off our radar a little. El Salvador is somewhere we have worked very hard, and we have some amazing friends and coffees, but somehow Siberia farm got lost. Fast forward to 2012 and the Cup of Excellence. This sample hit our table and we were wowed, really wowed. So much so that we bought it at a crazy price, and this coffee retailed at £12 a bag. You snapped it up. We raved about it and thought it only right to follow up on it. In fact the Siberia farm has been highly decorated; it's been among the Cup of Excellence winners in the years 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2012. So on my visit to El Salvador, Rafael and Carmen very kindly gave me a day of their time and took me to see their lovely new mill. We cupped some coffees and talked about how we could make sure we had coffee from Siberia farm this year, and also in future. Siberia farm is located in the Cerro El Aguila canton, between Santa Ana and Chalchuapa, in the region of Santa Ana and the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. This estate is exactly at the other side of the mountain from the La Fany estate, which we love so much. In the cup there's plenty of milk chocolate as you'd expect to see from El Salvador and it's accompanied by roasted nuts and what I can only describe as peach cobbler!  1 of the most important parts of this cup is the mouthfeel, it's thick and delicious like the caramel of a millionaires' shortbread. Country: El Salvador Region: Santa Ana City: Chalchuapa Farm: Siberia Farmer: Rafael and Carmen Silva Hoff Farm size: 27 hectares Coffee growing area: 27 hectares Annual production: 35,000 KG Workers: 120 during the peak harvest Average temperature: 18 degrees centigrade Average annual rainfall: 2,500mm Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l. Processing: Honey Varietal: Bourbon

Back in 1870, Fabio Morán and Etifanio Silva decided to conquer this hostile territory, sowing coffee trees in one of the highest summits of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. They named the 28 hectares of land Siberia for its chaotic weather conditions along with its difficult accessibility: very apt really. One century later, Rafael Silva inherited the property. It is located at 1,450 metres above sea level. It is shade-grown only coffee, of which we have two varieties; 75% Bourbon, and 25% Pacamara (this is a 100% Bourbon lot). The name Rafael Silva might be a familiar one to lovers of El Salvadorian coffee. Rafael and Carmen are the owners of one of my favourite coffees: La Fany. I visited both La Fany and Siberia farms with Rafael and Carmen back in 2007; I stocked this coffee and loved it. But it fell off our radar a little. El Salvador is somewhere we have worked very hard, and we have some amazing friends and coffees, but somehow Siberia farm got lost. Fast forward to 2012 and the Cup of Excellence. This sample hit our table and we were wowed, really wowed. So much so that we bought it at a crazy price, and this coffee retailed at £12 a bag. You snapped it up. We raved about it and thought it only right to follow up on it. In fact the Siberia farm has been highly decorated; it's been among the Cup of Excellence winners in the years 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2012. So on my visit to El Salvador, Rafael and Carmen very kindly gave me a day of their time and took me to see their lovely new mill. We cupped some coffees and talked about how we could make sure we had coffee from Siberia farm this year, and also in future. Siberia farm is located in the Cerro El Aguila canton, between Santa Ana and Chalchuapa, in the region of Santa Ana and the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. This estate is exactly at the other side of the mountain from the La Fany estate, which we love so much. In the cup there's plenty of milk chocolate as you'd expect to see from El Salvador and it's accompanied by roasted nuts and what I can only describe as peach cobbler!  1 of the most important parts of this cup is the mouthfeel, it's thick and delicious like the caramel of a millionaires' shortbread. Country: El Salvador Region: Santa Ana City: Chalchuapa Farm: Siberia Farmer: Rafael and Carmen Silva Hoff Farm size: 27 hectares Coffee growing area: 27 hectares Annual production: 35,000 KG Workers: 120 during the peak harvest Average temperature: 18 degrees centigrade Average annual rainfall: 2,500mm Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l. Processing: Honey Varietal: Bourbon

A few years back, on a visit to Guatemala, my good friend Raul Rodas (a name you may recognise from such World Barista Championships at 2012, when he WON!) was really keen for me to visit a farm that he'd been buying from for a couple of years. In Raul I trust, so of course I said 'yes'. El Limon is located around an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala city, in the small town of Palencia. This farm sits at an altitude of around 1,600 meters above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes ('Beto'), who used to be the mayor of Palencia and has helped build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee from Anacafe, but you can see a lot of development in that zone. San Patricio el Limon is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those places that have established players. The farm produces mainly Caturra and Bourbon, and does some experimentation with Pacamara, too. Ooooh, we like experimentation, don't we?! 'Yes Steve, we do indeed!' The experimentation done on El Limon is inspired by Beto's motivation. He has really focused on the farm in the last couple of years. He wanted to take more care in every step that they took in the production chain, from picking to processing to shipping, and also in the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair: Beto's siblings, wife, and son all work on the farm alongside him. In fact, his son is actually studying agronomy at the local college for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care in each step is reflected in the fact that they have built a new wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of all the coffee. Previously the mill could only process one lot; now they are able to process many lots and keep separate day's pickings and varietals in their parcels. With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees and process them at the mill. Again, this is another sign that this is a hotspot for Guatemalan coffee. Beto was the perfect host when I visited the farm. He welcomed me around the farm and into his home, and he prepared the most amazing meal. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. This traditional Guatemalan meal was just the ticket and I am sure it saved my life. Purely as an experiment, Raul and Beto decided they wanted to try doing something different with a coffee. They tinkered with processing methods to see what happened and to see what they could get out of the coffee. When I visited they told me about it, and OF COURSE I tasted the coffee and OF COURSE I bought the coffee! When farms are processing a coffee, they use a depulping machine that removes the cherry and most of the mucilage. There is a setting on this machine that adjusts how close to the bean it cleans, and therefore how much of the fruit is left behind. The farms Raul works with in Guatemala have, when honey processing, typically used a middle setting (Red Honey). However, Raul wanted to try a Black Honey. In Costa Rica, where these are most often produced, this would mean leaving all the mucilage and just taking off the fruit skin. However, when they have done Black Honey in Guatemala they have opened the depulper very wide, and some of the cherries have had the skin removed, whilst a few have been left intact. I guess this means it's kind of a hybrid Black Honey x natural process. These were then left on patios for thirteen days, which is about the same time that they use to dry their washed coffees. You can tell that this is a farm on the up, and a farm on top of their game. When I visited, every question was dispatched with exactly the right answer and every suggestion was listened to and taken on board. In the coming years I think this will be one of the most exciting relationships we have. In the cup you get the best of both processing worlds colliding. There's Black Forest gateau – made with plenty of cherries – loads of funky fruit, and a little booziness on the finish. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: San Patricio El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Variety: Caturra Processing System: Black Honey x Natural Hybrid

A few years back, on a visit to Guatemala, my good friend Raul Rodas (a name you may recognise from such World Barista Championships at 2012, when he WON!) was really keen for me to visit a farm that he'd been buying from for a couple of years. In Raul I trust, so of course I said 'yes'. El Limon is located around an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala city, in the small town of Palencia. This farm sits at an altitude of around 1,600 meters above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes ('Beto'), who used to be the mayor of Palencia and has helped build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee from Anacafe, but you can see a lot of development in that zone. San Patricio el Limon is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those places that have established players. The farm produces mainly Caturra and Bourbon, and does some experimentation with Pacamara, too. Ooooh, we like experimentation, don't we?! 'Yes Steve, we do indeed!' The experimentation done on El Limon is inspired by Beto's motivation. He has really focused on the farm in the last couple of years. He wanted to take more care in every step that they took in the production chain, from picking to processing to shipping, and also in the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair: Beto's siblings, wife, and son all work on the farm alongside him. In fact, his son is actually studying agronomy at the local college for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care in each step is reflected in the fact that they have built a new wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of all the coffee. Previously the mill could only process one lot; now they are able to process many lots and keep separate day's pickings and varietals in their parcels. With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees and process them at the mill. Again, this is another sign that this is a hotspot for Guatemalan coffee. Beto was the perfect host when I visited the farm. He welcomed me around the farm and into his home, and he prepared the most amazing meal. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. This traditional Guatemalan meal was just the ticket and I am sure it saved my life. Purely as an experiment, Raul and Beto decided they wanted to try doing something different with a coffee. They tinkered with processing methods to see what happened and to see what they could get out of the coffee. When I visited they told me about it, and OF COURSE I tasted the coffee and OF COURSE I bought the coffee! When farms are processing a coffee, they use a depulping machine that removes the cherry and most of the mucilage. There is a setting on this machine that adjusts how close to the bean it cleans, and therefore how much of the fruit is left behind. The farms Raul works with in Guatemala have, when honey processing, typically used a middle setting (Red Honey). However, Raul wanted to try a Black Honey. In Costa Rica, where these are most often produced, this would mean leaving all the mucilage and just taking off the fruit skin. However, when they have done Black Honey in Guatemala they have opened the depulper very wide, and some of the cherries have had the skin removed, whilst a few have been left intact. I guess this means it's kind of a hybrid Black Honey x natural process. These were then left on patios for thirteen days, which is about the same time that they use to dry their washed coffees. You can tell that this is a farm on the up, and a farm on top of their game. When I visited, every question was dispatched with exactly the right answer and every suggestion was listened to and taken on board. In the coming years I think this will be one of the most exciting relationships we have. In the cup you get the best of both processing worlds colliding. There's Black Forest gateau – made with plenty of cherries – loads of funky fruit, and a little booziness on the finish. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: San Patricio El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Variety: Caturra Processing System: Black Honey x Natural Hybrid

My friend in Guatemala has been buying from these guys for a couple of years now and was very keen for me to go meet them. Located around 1 hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of around 1600 meters above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes who used to be the Mayor of Palencia and has helped to build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the 8 regions of coffee from Anacafe, but you can see a lot of development in that zone. San Patricio el Limon is a perfect example of this. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up and coming, as well as those established players. The farm produces mainly Caturra and Bourbon, and does some experimentation with Pacamara, ooh we do like experimentation! In fact the experimentation comes from the motivation of “Beto,” who in the last two years has really focused on the farm. He wanted to take more care in every step that they take, from picking to processing to shipping, and also the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair, with his wife and son also working on the farm, along with siblings. In fact his son is actually studying agronomy at the local college, for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care in each step is reflected in that they have built up a new wet mill so they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of all the coffee. Previously the mill could just process one lot, now they are able to process many lots and keep separate day's pickings and varietals in their parcels. With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees and the process them. Again another sign this is a hot spot for Guatemalan coffee. When I visited the farm Beto was the perfect host, welcoming me around the farm and into his home, and he prepared the most amazing meal. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big and home cooked and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. This traditional Guatemalan meal was just the ticket and I am sure it saved my life. But more importantly you can tell this is a farm on the up. A farm on top of their game. Every question was dispatched with exactly the right answer, every suggestion was listened to and taken on board, and in the coming years, I think this will be one of the most exciting relationships we have. In the cup there's plenty of dark chocolate alongside mashed banana, think of a banana sandwichsprinkled with dark chocolate.  On the finish there's also a lovely soft waft of sherry. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: San Patricio El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Variety: Bourbon Processing System: Natural

My friend in Guatemala has been buying from these guys for a couple of years now and was very keen for me to go meet them. Located around 1 hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of around 1600 meters above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes who used to be the Mayor of Palencia and has helped to build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the 8 regions of coffee from Anacafe, but you can see a lot of development in that zone. San Patricio el Limon is a perfect example of this. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up and coming, as well as those established players. The farm produces mainly Caturra and Bourbon, and does some experimentation with Pacamara, ooh we do like experimentation! In fact the experimentation comes from the motivation of “Beto,” who in the last two years has really focused on the farm. He wanted to take more care in every step that they take, from picking to processing to shipping, and also the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair, with his wife and son also working on the farm, along with siblings. In fact his son is actually studying agronomy at the local college, for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care in each step is reflected in that they have built up a new wet mill so they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of all the coffee. Previously the mill could just process one lot, now they are able to process many lots and keep separate day's pickings and varietals in their parcels. With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees and the process them. Again another sign this is a hot spot for Guatemalan coffee. When I visited the farm Beto was the perfect host, welcoming me around the farm and into his home, and he prepared the most amazing meal. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big and home cooked and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. This traditional Guatemalan meal was just the ticket and I am sure it saved my life. But more importantly you can tell this is a farm on the up. A farm on top of their game. Every question was dispatched with exactly the right answer, every suggestion was listened to and taken on board, and in the coming years, I think this will be one of the most exciting relationships we have. In the cup there's plenty of dark chocolate alongside mashed banana, think of a banana sandwichsprinkled with dark chocolate.  On the finish there's also a lovely soft waft of sherry. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: San Patricio El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Variety: Bourbon Processing System: Natural

We first discovered this farm through the Mierisch auction 'Los Favorties', which is an auction of their finest lots from their nine farms. They sifted through each one of their lots from every farm; all the lots come from various plots on the farms, different harvest days, cultivars, microclimates and, in some cases, different processing methods. These coffees are truly the best of their production and the best representation in their class. The lot sizes were kept small to make the coffees unique and exclusive. The San Jose farm was acquired in November 2003. At the time it was completely abandoned, and due to its inaccessibility it's been a work in progress for many, many years. It's up in the chain of mountains that marks the border of Jinotega and surrounds the skirts of Apanas lake at 1,300-1,400 metres above sea level. San Jose overlooks the long-time favourite farm 'Escondida', and that farm can be seen from the very top of San Jose. This is a Pacamara varietal coffee. Pacamaras are a little crazy on the cupping table. Pacamaras are exciting. I like Pacamaras! I could ramble on about Pacamaras for a while — oh, wait a minute — in fact I did! If you'd like to know more about this fantastic varietal, make sure to have a look at the article I wrote... It's an incredibly beautiful farm with amazing views that are well worth the off-road trek up the mountain to gain access (even if we did get stuck two times). Dr. Mierisch said that he may build himself a small house on the farm to retire to one day: "overlooking the coffee plants and Lake Apanas in the background sounds like a dream come true". In the cup it's a real Mojito of a coffee: clean, crisp and refreshing with hints of lime and a slight mintyedge. There's also an extraordinary body that adds a delicious creaminess, an amazing marriage of complexity. Country: Nicaragua Community: Lipululo Departamento: Jinotega Farm: San Jose Farm Manager: Jesus Antonio Cruz Coffee Area: 66 manzanas  Elevation: 1,250 - 1,400 m.a.s.l. Harvest Months: December - March Diurnal Temperature Cycle: Avg High 27C, Low 15C Varietal: Yellow Pacamara Processing Type: Natural

We first discovered this farm through the Mierisch auction 'Los Favorties', which is an auction of their finest lots from their nine farms. They sifted through each one of their lots from every farm; all the lots come from various plots on the farms, different harvest days, cultivars, microclimates and, in some cases, different processing methods. These coffees are truly the best of their production and the best representation in their class. The lot sizes were kept small to make the coffees unique and exclusive. The San Jose farm was acquired in November 2003. At the time it was completely abandoned, and due to its inaccessibility it's been a work in progress for many, many years. It's up in the chain of mountains that marks the border of Jinotega and surrounds the skirts of Apanas lake at 1,300-1,400 metres above sea level. San Jose overlooks the long-time favourite farm 'Escondida', and that farm can be seen from the very top of San Jose. This is a Pacamara varietal coffee. Pacamaras are a little crazy on the cupping table. Pacamaras are exciting. I like Pacamaras! I could ramble on about Pacamaras for a while — oh, wait a minute — in fact I did! If you'd like to know more about this fantastic varietal, make sure to have a look at the article I wrote... It's an incredibly beautiful farm with amazing views that are well worth the off-road trek up the mountain to gain access (even if we did get stuck two times). Dr. Mierisch said that he may build himself a small house on the farm to retire to one day: "overlooking the coffee plants and Lake Apanas in the background sounds like a dream come true". In the cup it's a real Mojito of a coffee: clean, crisp and refreshing with hints of lime and a slight mintyedge. There's also an extraordinary body that adds a delicious creaminess, an amazing marriage of complexity. Country: Nicaragua Community: Lipululo Departamento: Jinotega Farm: San Jose Farm Manager: Jesus Antonio Cruz Coffee Area: 66 manzanas  Elevation: 1,250 - 1,400 m.a.s.l. Harvest Months: December - March Diurnal Temperature Cycle: Avg High 27C, Low 15C Varietal: Yellow Pacamara Processing Type: Natural

My friend in Guatemala has been buying from these guys for a couple of years now and was very keen for me to go meet them. Located around 1 hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of around 1600 meters above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes who used to be the Mayor of Palencia and has helped to build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the 8 regions of coffee from Anacafe, but you can see a lot of development in that zone. San Patricio el Limon is a perfect example of this. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up and coming, as well as those established players. The farm produces mainly Cattura and Bourbon, and does some experimentation with Pacamara, ooh we like experimentation! In fact the experimentation comes from the motivation of “Beto,” who in the last two years has really focused on the farm. He wanted to take more care in every step that they take, from picking to processing to shipping, and also the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair, with his wife and son also working on the farm, along with siblings. In fact his son is actually studying agronomy at the local college, for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care in each step is reflected in that they have built up a new wet mill so they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of all the coffee. Previously the mill could just process one lot, now they are able to process many lots and keep separate day's pickings and varietals in their parcels. With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees and the process them. Again another sign this is a hot spot for Guatemalan coffee. When I visited the farm Beto was the perfect host, welcoming me around the farm and into his home, and he prepared the most amazing meal. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big and home cooked and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. This traditional Guatemalan meal was just the ticket and I am sure it saved my life. But more importantly you can tell this is a farm on the up. A farm on top of their game. Every question was dispatched with exactly the right answer, every suggestion was listened to and taken on board, and in the coming years, I think this will be one of the most exciting relationships we have. This comes from a small and experimental lot of Pacamara.  Last year we had some for the first time after the year before Beto had already sold it all, this year I'm super excited to have it back for a second time! So in the cup this starts off just like the washed Caturra, with big sweet creamy milk chocolate, and a wonderful fresh green apple acidity. The difference comes in the aftertaste, gooseberry and green grape with a big caramel aftertaste. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: San Patricio El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Variety: Pacamara Processing System: Washed

My friend in Guatemala has been buying from these guys for a couple of years now and was very keen for me to go meet them. Located around 1 hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of around 1600 meters above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes who used to be the Mayor of Palencia and has helped to build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the 8 regions of coffee from Anacafe, but you can see a lot of development in that zone. San Patricio el Limon is a perfect example of this. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up and coming, as well as those established players. The farm produces mainly Cattura and Bourbon, and does some experimentation with Pacamara, ooh we like experimentation! In fact the experimentation comes from the motivation of “Beto,” who in the last two years has really focused on the farm. He wanted to take more care in every step that they take, from picking to processing to shipping, and also the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair, with his wife and son also working on the farm, along with siblings. In fact his son is actually studying agronomy at the local college, for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care in each step is reflected in that they have built up a new wet mill so they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of all the coffee. Previously the mill could just process one lot, now they are able to process many lots and keep separate day's pickings and varietals in their parcels. With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees and the process them. Again another sign this is a hot spot for Guatemalan coffee. When I visited the farm Beto was the perfect host, welcoming me around the farm and into his home, and he prepared the most amazing meal. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big and home cooked and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. This traditional Guatemalan meal was just the ticket and I am sure it saved my life. But more importantly you can tell this is a farm on the up. A farm on top of their game. Every question was dispatched with exactly the right answer, every suggestion was listened to and taken on board, and in the coming years, I think this will be one of the most exciting relationships we have. This comes from a small and experimental lot of Pacamara.  Last year we had some for the first time after the year before Beto had already sold it all, this year I'm super excited to have it back for a second time! So in the cup this starts off just like the washed Caturra, with big sweet creamy milk chocolate, and a wonderful fresh green apple acidity. The difference comes in the aftertaste, gooseberry and green grape with a big caramel aftertaste. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: San Patricio El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Variety: Pacamara Processing System: Washed

Finca Noruega is located in the volcanic Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, Apaneca, Ahuachapán. It consists of 27 hectares at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters above sea level. This is quite high for Apaneca and it has an awful lot of shady trees (not trees of questionable character: trees that provide precious shade for the coffee trees). This makes the crop mature much more slowly than some of the other farms: this means the coffee really only comes into full production towards what is thought to be the end of the season in El Salvador. The farm grows both Bourbon, as in this case, and a small amount of Pacamara. In total the farm produces around 400 bags which is really not so big. It's owned by our friends Carmen and Rafael who you may recognise from the other amazing coffee farms Finca Siberia and Finca La Fany. The name for this farm is one of those amazing love stories of boy meets girl. I'll let Carmen tell the story in her words... "This farm has a romantic tint to it. Rafael´s grandparents met in San Francisco, California, when young around the 1930s. Sara Valdivieso Borja was from El Salvador and sent to school in California; she met Ralph Hoff, another student, who came to San Francisco to study all the way from Norway. They fell in love, got married and established their residence in El Salvador after renaming the farm Noruega (“Norway” in English) on behalf of the husband Ralph. He learned to work and love the land, and he made it prosper. They had an only child, Thelma, who continued the legacy through her 5 children." A lovely story and a lovely coffee. In the cup you get a beautiful blast of green apple acidity, that's followed right up with a buttery mouthfeel that dominates the mouth. It then goes in another direction of dark chocolate sweetness and a gentle white grape acidity that keeps you coming back for more. Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Apaneca Farm: Finca Noruega Farmer: Carmen and Rafael Da Silva Farm size: 27 hectares Coffee growing area: 27 hectares Altitude: 1,610 m.a.s.l. Variety: Bourbon Processing system: Pulped Natural Location: Latitude: 13.845794 Longitude: -89.809667

This is from my early 2013 trip to Guatemala. We never bought directly from Guatemala before 2 year ago; this has become one of our strongest and amazing relationships.My friend in Guatemala has been buying from these guys for a couple of years now and was very keen for me to go meet them. Located around an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of around 1600-1800 meters above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes who used to be the Mayor of Palencia and has helped to build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the 8 regions of coffee from Anacafe, but you can see a lot of development in that zone. San Patricio el Limon is a perfect example of this. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up and coming, as well as those that are established players. The farm produces mainly Caturra and Bourbon, and does some experimentation with Pacamara. In fact the experimentation comes from the motivation of “Beto,” who in the last three years has really focused on the farm. He wanted to take more care in every step they take, from picking to processing to shipping, and also in the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair; his wife and son also work on the farm, along with Beto's siblings. In fact his son is actually studying agronomy at the local college, for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care in each step is reflected in the fact that they have built up a new wet mill so they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. Previously the mill could just process one lot; now they are able to process many lots and keep separate day's pickings and varietals in their own parcels. This coffee is a Caturra variety comes from one section of the farm called Pie Del Cerro, that nicknamed  "Poco inglaterra". Its Beto's favourite part, and has had the best production for many years, and is exclusively for us. Its the higest part of the farm at 1800 masl. Since beginning to work with Beto he continues to invest in the farm, this year the visit showed us lots of new planting, and a lot of building work around the wet mill, he is also building a QC lab, and new accommodation for people working on the farm, it was a real hive of activity.  Everytime I visit the farm Beto and his family are the perfect hosts, welcoming me around the farm and into his home, and always preparing the most amazing meal. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big and home cooked and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. This traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket and I always look forwards to the food, but mainly the company.  So in the cup it starts off as sweet milk chocolate, with a wonderful satsuma orange acidity of the first time we tasted this coffee comes running back, along with a brown sugar sweetness, and a silky mouthfeel. Farm: San Patricio El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes Region: Palencia Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Variety: Caturra Processing system: Washed

This is from my early 2013 trip to Guatemala. We never bought directly from Guatemala before 2 year ago; this has become one of our strongest and amazing relationships.My friend in Guatemala has been buying from these guys for a couple of years now and was very keen for me to go meet them. Located around an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of around 1600-1800 meters above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes who used to be the Mayor of Palencia and has helped to build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the 8 regions of coffee from Anacafe, but you can see a lot of development in that zone. San Patricio el Limon is a perfect example of this. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up and coming, as well as those that are established players. The farm produces mainly Caturra and Bourbon, and does some experimentation with Pacamara. In fact the experimentation comes from the motivation of “Beto,” who in the last three years has really focused on the farm. He wanted to take more care in every step they take, from picking to processing to shipping, and also in the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair; his wife and son also work on the farm, along with Beto's siblings. In fact his son is actually studying agronomy at the local college, for the benefit of the farm. The dedication and care in each step is reflected in the fact that they have built up a new wet mill so they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. Previously the mill could just process one lot; now they are able to process many lots and keep separate day's pickings and varietals in their own parcels. This coffee is a Caturra variety comes from one section of the farm called Pie Del Cerro, that nicknamed  "Poco inglaterra". Its Beto's favourite part, and has had the best production for many years, and is exclusively for us. Its the higest part of the farm at 1800 masl. Since beginning to work with Beto he continues to invest in the farm, this year the visit showed us lots of new planting, and a lot of building work around the wet mill, he is also building a QC lab, and new accommodation for people working on the farm, it was a real hive of activity.  Everytime I visit the farm Beto and his family are the perfect hosts, welcoming me around the farm and into his home, and always preparing the most amazing meal. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big and home cooked and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. This traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket and I always look forwards to the food, but mainly the company.  So in the cup it starts off as sweet milk chocolate, with a wonderful satsuma orange acidity of the first time we tasted this coffee comes running back, along with a brown sugar sweetness, and a silky mouthfeel. Farm: San Patricio El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes Region: Palencia Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Variety: Caturra Processing system: Washed

Oh hello there!  My name's Steve and I really like the colour red, it's my favourite, you might have guessed by all the red everywhere ;)  However this is a rare occasion where I want to talk to you about a different colour, an amazing yellow that I've really fallen in love with.  In the past we only had red Pacamaras, if you know me then you know I love red and I love Pacamaras so it was a match made in heaven!  However a little while ago I came across a yellow Pacamara and wow, wow wow wow. It was 4 years ago and I was in Nicaragua visiting Finca Limoncillo, I was introduced to this not-red Pacamara and after tasting a small sample I begged Erwin to sell us some but he told me they were using all the crop to create more seedling to plant more coffee, but that it would soon be available.  Gone were the days of me being a red only kinda guy. Fast forward 2 years and it was available in the Los Favoritos Fincas Mierisch auction where some very special lots were up for grabs to the highest bidder.  After tasting what I tasted in Nicaragua I knew I had to have it, through the bidding process the entire production of yellow Pacamara from that year was split between us and another amazing roastery in Japan, and so the journey began.  Because we stepped up then we are now at the front of the line to get the new crop as it grows into more and more commercial sizes.  This also allows us to sell this coffee at half the original price, which is very exciting. As I said this is a Pacamara varietal coffee.  Pacamaras are a little crazy on the cupping table.  Pacamaras are exciting.  I like Pacamaras!  Could ramble on about Pacamaras for a while, oh wait a minute, I did!  If you'd like to know more about this fantastic varietal make sure to have a look at the article I wrote... So why is this varietal so rare? Well it's a freak natural mutation from red fruit to yellow and was spotted by a security guard on the farm. They isolated it, harvested the seeds for more seedlings, and then just kept going and going. In the cup this is a super rare super special coffee. At the beginning you're going to get a taste of lovely cloudy lemonade, this then turns into a viscous and sweet banana milkshake that's thick and gloopy. The delicious aftertaste just goes on and on and on. Country: Nicaragua Municipality: Yasica Norte 
Region: Matagalpa
 Farm Name: Limoncillo Farmer: Dr. Erwin Mierisch Farm Size: 171 Hectares Coffee growing area: 109 Hectares
 Harvest Months: December - February Diurnal Temperature Cycle: Avg High 28°C, Low 20°C Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: YELLOW Pacamara Processing System: Pulped Natural

Oh hello there!  My name's Steve and I really like the colour red, it's my favourite, you might have guessed by all the red everywhere ;)  However this is a rare occasion where I want to talk to you about a different colour, an amazing yellow that I've really fallen in love with.  In the past we only had red Pacamaras, if you know me then you know I love red and I love Pacamaras so it was a match made in heaven!  However a little while ago I came across a yellow Pacamara and wow, wow wow wow. It was 4 years ago and I was in Nicaragua visiting Finca Limoncillo, I was introduced to this not-red Pacamara and after tasting a small sample I begged Erwin to sell us some but he told me they were using all the crop to create more seedling to plant more coffee, but that it would soon be available.  Gone were the days of me being a red only kinda guy. Fast forward 2 years and it was available in the Los Favoritos Fincas Mierisch auction where some very special lots were up for grabs to the highest bidder.  After tasting what I tasted in Nicaragua I knew I had to have it, through the bidding process the entire production of yellow Pacamara from that year was split between us and another amazing roastery in Japan, and so the journey began.  Because we stepped up then we are now at the front of the line to get the new crop as it grows into more and more commercial sizes.  This also allows us to sell this coffee at half the original price, which is very exciting. As I said this is a Pacamara varietal coffee.  Pacamaras are a little crazy on the cupping table.  Pacamaras are exciting.  I like Pacamaras!  Could ramble on about Pacamaras for a while, oh wait a minute, I did!  If you'd like to know more about this fantastic varietal make sure to have a look at the article I wrote... So why is this varietal so rare? Well it's a freak natural mutation from red fruit to yellow and was spotted by a security guard on the farm. They isolated it, harvested the seeds for more seedlings, and then just kept going and going. In the cup this is a super rare super special coffee. At the beginning you're going to get a taste of lovely cloudy lemonade, this then turns into a viscous and sweet banana milkshake that’s thick and gloopy. The delicious aftertaste just goes on and on and on. Country: Nicaragua Municipality: Yasica Norte 
Region: Matagalpa
 Farm Name: Limoncillo Farmer: Dr. Erwin Mierisch Farm Size: 171 Hectares Coffee growing area: 109 Hectares
 Harvest Months: December - February Diurnal Temperature Cycle: Avg High 28°C, Low 20°C Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
 Varietal: YELLOW Pacamara Processing System: Pulped Natural

Back in 1870, Fabio Morán and Etifanio Silva decided to conquer this hostile territory, sowing coffee trees in one of the highest summits of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. They named the 28 hectares of land Siberia for its chaotic weather conditions along with its difficult accessibility: very apt really. One century later, Rafael Silva inherited the property. It is located at 1,450 metres above sea level. It is shade-grown only coffee, of which we have two varieties; 75% Bourbon, and 25% Pacamara (this is a 100% Bourbon lot). The name Rafael Silva might be a familiar one to lovers of El Salvadorian coffee. Rafael and Carmen are the owners of one of my favourite coffees: La Fany. I visited both La Fany and Siberia farms with Rafael and Carmen back in 2007; I stocked this coffee and loved it. But it fell off our radar a little. El Salvador is somewhere we have worked very hard, and we have some amazing friends and coffees, but somehow Siberia farm got lost. Fast forward to 2012 and the Cup of Excellence. This sample hit our table and we were wowed, really wowed. So much so that we bought it at a crazy price, and this coffee retailed at £12 a bag. You snapped it up. We raved about it and thought it only right to follow up on it. In fact the Siberia farm has been highly decorated; it's been among the Cup of Excellence winners in the years 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2012. So on my visit to El Salvador, Rafael and Carmen very kindly gave me a day of their time and took me to see their lovely new mill. We cupped some coffees and talked about how we could make sure we had coffee from Siberia farm this year, and also in future. Siberia farm is located in the Cerro El Aguila canton, between Santa Ana and Chalchuapa, in the region of Santa Ana and the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. This estate is exactly at the other side of the mountain from the La Fany estate, which we love so much. In the cup expect a gentle aniseed and liquorice, with a lovely lingering spicy aftertaste. Farm: La Siberia Farmer: Rafael and Carmen Silva Hoff City: Chalchuapa Region: Santa Ana Country: El Salvador Farm size: 27 hectares Coffee growing area: 27 hectares Annual production: 35,000 KG Workers: 120 during the peak harvest Average temperature: 18 degrees centigrade Average annual rainfall: 2,500mm Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l. Processing: Natural Variety: Bourbon

Back in 1870, Fabio Morán and Etifanio Silva decided to conquer this hostile territory, sowing coffee trees in one of the highest summits of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. They named the 28 hectares of land Siberia, for its chaotic weather conditions, along with its difficult accessibility: very apt really. One century later, Rafael Silva inherited the property. It is located at 1,450 meters above sea level. It is only shade-grown coffee, of which we have two varieties; 75% Bourbon, and 25% Pacamara (this is the 100% bourbon lot). The name Rafael Silva might be a familiar one to lovers of El Salvador coffee. Rafael and Carmen being the owners of one of my favourite coffees: La Fany. I visited both La Fany and Siberia farm with them back in 2007, and I stocked this coffee and loved it. But it fell off our radar a little, El Salvador is somewhere we have worked very hard, and have some amazing friends and coffees, but somehow Siberia got lost. Fast forward to 2012 and the Cup of Excellence, This sample hit our table and we were wowed, really wowed. So much so we bought it at a crazy price, and this coffee retailed at £12 a bag. You snapped it up. We raved about it and thought it only right to follow up. In fact Siberia has been highly decorated and has been among the Cup of Excellence winners in the years 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2012. So on my visit to El Salvador Rafael and Carmen very kindly gave me a day of their time and took me to see their lovely new mill, and cup some coffees and talk about how we could make sure we had Siberia this year and going forwards. Siberia farm is located in the Cerro El Aguila canton, between Santa Ana and Chalchuapa, in the region of Santa Ana and the Apaneca- Ilamatepec Mountain Range. This estate is exactly at the other side of the mountain from the La Fany estate, which we love so much. In the cup expect a milk chocolate body with a walnut edge to it, with a clean sweet aftertaste and delicate watermelon acidity that just goes on and on. Farm: La Siberia Farmer: Rafael and Carmen Silva Hoff City: Chalchuapa Region: Santa Ana Country: El Salvador Farm Size: 27 Hectares Coffee growing area: 27 Hectares Annual Production: 35,000 kg Workers: 120 during the peak harvest Average Temperature: 18 degrees centigrade  Average Annual Rainfall: 2,500mm Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l. Processing: Washed Variety: Bourbon

  Episode 301 on Monday the 18th of August 2014 Nicaragua Finca Limoncillo Pulped Natural Yellow Pacamara

Episode 273 on Monday the 3rd of February 2014 Nicaragua Finca Limoncillo Natural funky pacamara

Episode 259 on Monday the 28th of October 2013 El Salvador Finca Alpes Washed Pacamara

Episode 258 on Monday the 21st of October 2013 Guatemala Finca Insul Washed Pacamara

Episode 257 on Monday the 14th of October 2013 Nicaragua Finca Limoncillo Washed Pacamara

Episode 256 on Monday the 7th of October 2013 Nicaragua Finca Limoncillo Natural Pacamara elegant 

Episode 237 on monday the 27th of May 2013 El Salvador Finca Santa Petrona Washed Pacamara

Episode 188 on Monday the 18th of June 2012 Nicaragua Limoncilo Pacamara Natural Funky and elegant

Episode 152 on Monday the 10th of October 2011 Honduras Finca Santa Marta Pacamara lot 236

Episode 139 on Monday the 11th of July 2011 Nicaragua Limoncillo Pacamara Natural 2011-2012

Episode 122 on Monday the 14th of March 2011 Nicaragua Santa Maura Pacamara 2010-2011 

Episode 46 on Monday the 28th September 2009 Nicaragua Limoncillo Pacamara Peaberry