La Concepcion, Guatemala

 Baked fig. Honey. Orange.

La Concepcion is a light and fruity washed single origin from the Acatenango valley of Guatemala. It's got a complex sweetness that's comforting but also lightweight. For us, it tastes like honey baked figs, with a bit of citrusy orange at the back. It's a clean, light cup and definitely one to try. 

Around the turn of the 20th century (1890), don Anacleto Marroquin, a first-generation coffee producer, bought Finca Esperanza in the valley of Acatenango together with his wife Higinia Melendez. The original farm was about 250 hectares in size. In 1910, their daughter Maria Natalia and her husband Maximiliano Perez inherited the farm, and started planting it anew. All of the production in the following decades was transported with donkeys and mules to the town of Acatenango, a two-and-a-half-hour-long trip, to be processed in one of the few wet mills in the area. In 1956, Maximiliano built an on-site wet mill and started to introduce Caturra as the main varietal in the farm. In 1968, the farm was awarded 2nd prize of the national competition for coffees grown above 4000 ft. In 1978, Maria Natalia and Maximiliano’s daughters Berta and Julia inherit the farm and managed it for another 3 decades, selling part of it in the process, before finally selling the farm to don Hector Leal in the early 2010’s. Today, formerly known as La Esperanza, Finca Concepcion is comprised of 100 hectares and the owner, putting his 65+ years of coffee work and knowledge to use, has transformed the farm with new growing methods and varietals which include H1, H3, Casiopea, Gesha, Ethiopean Dwarf, Pink Bourbon, amongst others, producing an exquisite cup of coffee.

Region: Acatenango, Guatemala

Varietal: Centroamericano H1

Process: Washed - patio shade dried

Altitude: 1,525-1,625 metres 

Green coffee sourcing partner: Caribbean Goods (here's a great video they created while visiting the farm earlier this year)