La Soledad, Washed Caturra and Catuaí, Guatemala

Description

Flavour description: The coffee has a chocolate-like aroma. This is a transparent yet round coffee, with a crispness of pink apple. The coffee has flavour notes of dried cherry and roasted cacao nibs with a lingering aftertaste of apple Colour: Light Red Category: Comfortable  Producer: Raul Pérez Location: Acatenango in the Chimaltenango department Farm Name: La Soledad Varietal: Caturra and Cataí Elevation: 1,500 m.a.s.l. Processing: Washed Price transparency: The FOB price paid for this coffee was 3,94$/lb We love the taste profile of the washed, crisp coffees from La Soledad. Raul Pérez, as well as his brother and parents, are so talented on transforming the flavours from the cherries to the cupping table.  At La Soledad, Caturra and Catuaí, is growing next to each other and are naturally mixed as it is picked. So as we are not doing any blends at Drop Coffee, this is proabaly the closest you get to one; naturally two vairetals in the production at La Soledad.   About La Soledad Located in the Acatenango Region of Guatemala, this unique micro climate is nestled between two volcanoes. The closest one to Feuego regularly deposits a bit or fertiliser (read as ash) on the the soil and planted and when me and Steve stopped there you can see it bubbling away at night with an orange glow.  Owned by the Perez family; Henio, Mercedes and two sons Raul and Jose, this special farm is always over subscribed with some of the worlds greatest coffee roasters, but also many who are buying bigger volumes than we do at Drop Coffee. But because of the long term relationship between us and Raul, we are never forgotten and are always one of the lucky few to be able to buy this coffee. The Perez family have been farming the land for the last 120 years and have no plans going anywhere soon.  The farm its self is 222 acres of which half is natural forest and the other half coffee production. The attention to detail in the farm management and processing is second to none, which is what makes the coffee so popular.   Raul the oldest son (and our primary contact as we have mutual friends) since entering the farm has took a keen focus on. Cupping and quality, building his own lab and testing area and cupping every lot that comes out of the farm. This means they are able to reject lots that do not meet their strict guidelines and make the final cup amazing for us and you. With Raul, we have the pleasure to chat and compare notes on the coffee and how to improve the highest quality year on year with Raul.  We have visited Raul a few times, with him coming to collect us from the airport and only visit over the day, but during our latest visit myself and Steve decided to hire a car in Guatemala City and travel to the farm by our selves and stay over. We walked the farm, had a day of coffee processing and watch the sunset over dinner, to cup again next morning and go back on the farm. Stopping at La Soledad overnight with all the family really left us with some deeper understanding for their comprehensive work of flavour profiling, the challanges of the weather as well as QC.