Guatemala, Los Aguacatones, Natural, Bourbon & Villa Sarchi

A progressive cup-profile from Huehuetenango, Guatemalas highest region, and award winning processor and producer Fredy Morales. This makes a fantastic espresso, delivering Plum, apple and chocolate liqueur notes, with the depth and sweetness of natural processing but retaining a clean and juicy finish.

Los Aguacatones was purchased by the Morales family in 2009. Whilst it was initially used for picnicking and growing avocados, and some small experiments with growing coffee at 2,000 masl, after success placing top 10 in the Cup of Excellence, the experiments grew and the family decided to plant coffee across the 11 hectares with seeds from their other farms in 2011. Since then they have concentrated on soil health and reforesting the area with suitable shade trees, including chalum and gravileas, two endemic tree species that fix nitrogen. They found water to be a challenge, so set up rain catchment tanks and implemented irrigation throughout the entire farm.  Their processing approach, primarily washed and honey methods carried out without traditional washing channels, makes for clean, floral cup profiles, but Fredy has seen the most success with his clean and expressive Naturals.

The farm now grows a wide range of varieties, including Tekisic, geisha and Maragoype, but this lot is comprised of the more traditional Bourbon, and Villa Sarchi, which is more common in Costa Rica. Both of these varieties are prized for their sweetness, but it’s interesting to taste them form such high altitude.

In Huehuetenango, coffee farming currently faces a ‘perfect storm’ of interconnected challenges. While the region is legendary for its high-altitude, fruit-forward coffees, farmers are struggling with a severe labor exodus, erratic climate shifts, and rising production costs. Producers like the Morales’ who are demonstrating a positive narrative, economic success and recognition for their exceptional skills and product, serve as important leading lights to their community and the industry.