Guatemala El Penon Lot 2 Natural

Origin: Guatemala
Region: Huehuetenango
Town: Aldea Chichinabaj, La Democracia
Estate: Finca El Peñón
Owner: Ivan Federico Ovalle Altuve
Altitude: 1450-2050 masl
Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Pache
Grade: SHB EP
Processing: Natural
Cupping Score: 82
Cupping Notes: Dried Fruit, Stone Fruit, Fig & Dark Chocolate

Owner Ivan Ovalle is laser focused on producing high quality, ecologically-friendly coffees at his farm, Finca El Peñón in La Democracia, Huehuetenango. Ovalle holds an engineering degree and has utilized his training to increase Finca El Peñón’s water efficiency and to ensure that workers pick only the ripest cherry with the highest sugar content.

Cultivation

The farm is 75 hectares, 15 of which are devoted to forest reserves, while the remaining 60 hectares are planted with Caturra, Pache and Bourbon.

Harvest & Post-Harvest

Ovalle is meticulous about teaching workers to pick only ripe, red cherry at the exactly right moment. He’s used analyses of Brix degrees (sugar content) to find the optimal moment at which to pick cherry. Workers selectively handpick cherry according to their training.

Finca El Peñón is dedicated to protecting the environment from any adverse effects of coffee growing. Ovalle has been focused on reducing water usage year after year and working with various certification programs to improve the farm’s environmental and social impacts.

After selective handpicking, cherry is carefully sorted to select the best and most ripe cherry using visual inspection and flotation. Cherry that passes Ovalle’s high standards is laid on patios to dry in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight helps to speed up dehydration of the parchment and mucilage. Removing excess moisture as quickly as possible and turning drying parchment frequently can help prevent of drying defects such as phenol and mold.

Cherry is turned frequently, especially during the first 3 to 4 days. During this time, workers go over cherry and remove any damaged cherry to ensure only the highest quality cherry reaches the ensuing stages. Cherry that passes the test is then transferred a greenhouse covered with plastic sheeting, where it will dry on raised beds for an additional 13 to 15 days. In total, cherry takes approximately 18 to 20 days to dry.

Strictly Hard Bean (SHB)

Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) specifies the altitude at which the coffee was grown. A coffee must be grown at 1,200 meters above sea level or higher to be considered SHB. The higher altitude and lower temperatures mean that the coffee fruit matures more slowly, creating a denser bean.

Small Batch Roasting: Roast For You Service – Terms & Conditions

Introduction

Small Batch Roasting now offers a service that offers personalised coffee roasting for customers who want to enjoy freshly roasted coffee tailored to their preferences. This article will discuss the Roast For You Service, its terms and conditions, and provide essential information for customers to make informed decisions when ordering.

Roast For You Service

When you choose to have your coffee roasted for you, we will roast the exact amount ordered and roast this for you to the selected roast profile you have chosen. Our small batch roasting process ensures that your coffee is roasted with care and precision, resulting in a high-quality, freshly roasted product.

Minimum Green Weight Requirement

Please be advised that the minimum green weight for roasting any one single origin is 6kg. Any orders placed with less than 6kg of each origin will be placed on hold and may cause delays in being dispatched. We will contact you to discuss how you wish to proceed in this case.

Weight Loss During Roasting

Please be mindful of the weight loss through moisture loss during roasting, which is typically between 12-20% depending on the level of roast. The darker the roast, the higher the moisture loss. This weight loss should be taken into account when ordering your coffee to ensure you receive the desired amount of roasted coffee.

Order Processing Time

Orders for roasted coffees will naturally take a little longer to process. Please allow a minimum of 3 days for your order to arrive from the point of order. If we are able to drop your order in the roasting schedule sooner, we will always endeavor to do so.

Mixed Orders

Mixed orders which include green and roasted coffees will be dispatched together when the roasted coffees are ready. We are unable to split these orders, so please consider the slightly longer delivery times when ordering mixed coffees.

Packaging

Your coffee will be bulk packed into a 6kg bulk bag with an identifying label on only. This packaging ensures that your coffee remains fresh and protected during transit.

Roast Profile and Liability

We will roast to your desired roast profile, but are unable to take any liability for any taste discrepancies that may arise from this. We are unable to take back any coffees once they have been roasted to your desired roast profile.

Yield Estimate

Typically, a medium roast coffee at 6kg green will yield 5.1kg of freshly roasted coffee. This estimate should be taken into account when ordering your coffee to ensure you receive the desired amount of roasted coffee.

Guatemala boasts a variety of growing regions and conditions that produce spectacular coffees. Today, the country is revered as a producer of some of the most flavorful and nuanced cups worldwide. We are proud to work with several exceptional in-country partners to bring these coffees to market.

The Guatemalan coffee industry experienced a major setback with the 2010 appearance of Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) in Latin America. The epidemic peaked in severity in 2012, and though CLR continues to affect some farms, Guatemala continues to produce high-quality, record-breaking coffees. In 2017, new and varied processing methods pushed prices at the Guatemalan Cup of Excellence contest to record highs.

The quality of coffee being produced in Guatemala is increasing, overall, due to the diversity of the industry’s producers. There are more and more small holder farmers producing exceptional coffee at high altitudes. Cooperatives are becoming more appealing to so many smallholders because they often offer farmers financing and other support for improving their farming and processing and are frequently able to offer higher prices for cherry than middlemen. Many cooperatives have initiated quality improvement training for farmer members and are becoming more adept at helping members market their coffee as specialty.