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For more than a century, the Zelaya family has been growing coffee in many areas of Guatemala. They are one of the few genuine Antigua coffee growers, nestled in the Antigua valley surrounded by the Agua, Acatenango and Fuego volcanoes.
Situated at more than 1600 metres above sea level, on the fertile southern slopes of Volcan de Agua is Finca Santa Clara. The Zelaya family is firmly committed to both quality and sustainable coffee. From the curation of planted varietals to the acute supervision of the mills, the family farms are meticulously well-managed. The coffee grows under shade, protecting the plants from the harsh sun, maintains soil health and provides habitation for birds. Sedimentation tanks are also in place to prevent pollution of the local rivers.
Villa Sarchi is a varietal that was first discovered in Costa Rica. A natural mutation of a bourbon population, it adapts well to higher altitudes and is tolerant to strong winds. The cherries on the farm are handpicked, and sorted before being sent to the wet mill. Once they arrive, they are sorted and floated to remove lower quality cherries.
Selected cherries are machine pulped and fermented in a water tank for up to 14 hours to break down the exterior mucilage. Afterwards, the coffee is washed through canals to remove any remaining mucilage and foreign matter. The coffee is then spread evenly on patios or in greenhouses to sun dry for up to 25 days, before being hulled and prepared for export.
Washed coffees tend to utilise large amounts of water. Hence the farm pays extra attention to their scarce water resources especially with extended dry seasons in Antigua. Water used for washing fermented coffee is then recycled after filtering all debris and is reused during the next lot's de-pulping stage. This speeds up fermentation and maintains a consistent mix of yeast and bacteria during the process. The twice used water is then filtered to recycle the solids as compost.
The coffee is well balanced with a sweetness of dried stonefruits, accompanied by a lingering malic apple acidity that ends off with a pecan nuts finish.
Recommended to rest beans for 7-10 days from roast date before consuming.
