Guatemala Santa Isabel

Once again we are excited to bring back this coffee from the cool, misty rainy, magical reaches of Coban.  Santa Isabel is located in San Cristóbal Verapaz, a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz. It is at approximately 29 km from Cobán, capital of Alta Verapaz and about 210 km from Guatemala City.

Santa Isabel farm has been owned and operated by four generations of the Keller family dating back to 1899. The farm itself was granted to the family by the President of Guatemala in 1875. Today the farm is managed by Luis “Wicho” Valdez and his father Luis.Santa Isabel’s commitment to achieving excellent coffee is anchored in it’s dedication to environmental conservation. 60% of their 2,891 acres is planted with coffee under the shade of a native tree forest. The remaining land has been converted into a nature reserve. Santa Isabel meets the Rainforest Alliance Certified standards, measuring both social benefit and conservation actions such as: water used during the coffee processing is recycled, pulp and other organic waste materials are composted and used to fertilize coffee plant nurseries and the coffee mill is equipped with the most modern coffee technology.

Coban’s coffee quality has historically taken a back seat to other growing regions in the country like Antigua and Huehuetenango. Due to the pervasive humidity and nine months of rainfall in the lush region, the Valdes family has learned to adapt to the climactic challenges with their innovative pruning techniques and plant spacing allowing air to circulate more freely through the plantation. Combined with careful drying methods and overall meticulous attention to detail, Santa Isabel is producing the best coffee coming out of the region and rivaling some of the best coffees coming out of more traditional producing regions.

About The Farm:

Producer: Luis “Wicho” Valdés
Region: Alta Verapaz/Coban
Variety: Caturra
Elevation: 1,400 -1,600 Meters
Process: Fully washed & Sundried
Drying: Patio/Solar/Gaurdiola