San Lorenzo

Luis Valdés, affectionately known as "Wicho" to distinguish him from his father and grandfather who also bear the name Luis, has been running Finca Santa Isabel and the adjacent family farm, Finca San Lorenzo, since 1999. Wicho began following his father around the property when he was young, and went on to earn a degree in agricultural engineering before taking over the reins.

The constant humidity and year-round rainfall in this region create extremely complex challenges for processing and drying in particular. So much so that Cobán coffee is often stereotyped as cup-heavy and dull, or earthy. However, Wicho has used his lifelong experience and education to overcome this obstacle. The entire property is terraced to protect against erosion during heavy summer rains. Wicho has also created several different drying strategies (raised beds, greenhouses and mechanical dryers) to cope with the unpredictability of winter rains during harvest. Each batch of dried coffee is packaged, then tasted and grouped into individual profiles; the "floral" profile is created with individual daily batches that Wicho and its partners believe express the most complex and effusive aromas of the harvest. The coffee, still protected from its parchment, is transported to a dry mill in Guatemala City.

San Isabel is equipped with several pieces of equipment for sorting green coffee, typical of most dry mills, such as gravity beds, sieves and electronic eyes. The mill also features a piece of equipment called a catadora, which is placed immediately after the peeler and works like a wind channel to remove broken and less dense coffee beans. The mild weather in Guatemala City provides ideal conditions for storing parchment in the warehouse until the time of export. Over the past 10 years, Wicho coffee has become one of the most sought-after in Guatemala.

In your cup, this coffee develops aromas of dark fruit and rhubarb, giving way to a finish reminiscent of dark chocolate.