Red berries, mandarin and honeyed sweetness in the aftertaste. What is this?

Enjoy the harmony of ripe red berries, fresh mandarin and honey sweetness in the aftertaste of Guatemala’s bio coffee from San Miguel region

Have you ever tasted Guatemala San Miguel – Bio? If you are not, let us tell you its fascinating story.

When visiting Guatemala for the first time, our coffee hunter, Jordan Dabov, was curious whether he would share the opinion of industry’s experts from all over the world that the coffee from this Central American country is one of the richest in aroma and variety of flavours. Luckily, his opinion was not only confirmed but also earned specific dimensions after Jordan met Señor Dariusch Echeverria from Finca Santa Rita, San Miguel Region.

Where is Finca Santa Rita

Finca Santa Rita is in the San Miguel region, located on the outskirts of one of the famous coffee growing regions – the Chimaltenango area. The farm is set at 1,800 meters in height, and breeds Arabica Bourbon. Finca Santa Rita boasts a rich history, as Jordan has learned. Founded in the 1860s by Dariush’s great-great-grandfather, who has been President of the country, it has survived glorious and extremely difficult moments, and today it is proud of its Specialty Coffee. And not only of it. Dariush is a fifth-generation coffee farmer. His family speaks the language of coffee first and Spanish comes only second. Just by talking to him, one can learn a lot about growing really good coffee. Although it is situated only a hundred kilometers from the capital of Guatemala, it seems that time has stopped in the eponymous main city of Chimaltenango. This however, is only beneficial for the locals. The sense community is neither lost nor overshadowed by the 21st century alienation, and perhaps it is also one of the important reasons why Darius Echeverria’s farm has developed so successfully.

Tradition and innovation

Dariush is almost as obsessed with high quality as is Jordan. Both share common values – in Santa Rita, they have embraced sustainability and grow coffee with an utmost respect for nature. Unsurprisingly, their coveted coffee Guatemala San Miguel – Bio, has an Organic certificate, Rainforest Alliance certificate and a special Bird Friendly certificate from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. The farm is afforested with a variety of local tree species, with coffee growing in the shade of bananas. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the name of Guatemala, which comes from the Nahuat language, means “a place with many trees”. There is plenty of fish in the natural water sources in the farm but fishing and hunting are forbidden to preserve local flora and fauna. The coffee is wet processed – the water used for this is subsequently filtered so as not to pollute the rivers, and the pulp of the coffee cherries is used as an organic fertilizer.

Coffee is Guatemala number 1 export commodity

Today, coffee is grown in 20 of Guatemala’s 22 departments, with around 270,000 hectares planted under coffee, almost all of which (98%) is shade grown. In each area, the coffee is grown at a suitable height for the variety, and only varieties suitable for the respective soil and climatic conditions in the region are planted.

What taste you will find in Guatemala San Miguel – Bio

Still, let’s talk about the coffee itself! Because it is precisely the taste of the coffee that attracted the attention of our coffee hunter. Guatemala San Miguel – Bio has an exceptionally balanced taste and the red berries and mandarin notes in the flavor. Rich body honeyed sweetness in the cup, which remains in the aftertaste. For excellent results, you can prepare it in V60, Hemex, and French press. It is suitable also for Espresso lovers who prefer fruity flavor because it is exactly Guatemala San Miguel – Bio that we use for some of our Espresso blends to infuse them with its unique fruity taste.

Do you know that…

Guatemala has been producing coffee since the 19th century thanks to … German immigrant pioneers who first began to cultivate it in the country. Today, almost a quarter of the 12 million population sustain itself by coffee. Guatemala annually produces 3.5 million bags. Coffee from this Central American country is among the best in the world, according to specialists – especially high-growing (over 1300m as mountain areas occupy more than half of Guatemala’s territory) and volcanic soils in its southern part.