Huehuetenango is located in Western Guatemala bordering Mexico. It is extremely diverse and known for producing some of the best coffees in Latin America due to its climate, altitude, water sources, and traditional varieties. A range of offerings come out of Huehuetenango, including chocolatey volume offerings and fruit-forward microlots.
La Esperanza Washed is grown in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, at an altitude ranging from 1700 to 2000 meters above the sea level by Otto Rafael Herrera. After being handpicked, the cherries are washed in tanks for 24 hours then dried on raised beds in fully shaded conditions. This process results in a coffee with a soft chocolaty body and dainty almond notes.
The Washed process varies greatly across the growing regions of Guatemala due in large part to the different terroir and terrain that exists from place to place there, but for the most part the primary difference in style is in the length of time that the coffee is allowed to ferment. Generally speaking, coffee is picked ripe and depulped the same or the following day, then allowed to ferment for anywhere between 12–48 hours, depending on the climate. The coffee is then washed clean of its mucilage and spread on patios or raised beds to dry.
Tasting notes: Chocolate, Almonds.
Variety: Typica, Bourbon & Caturra
Process: Washed
Region: Huehuetenango
Farm: Finca la Esperanza
Altitude: 1700-2000 masl