RIO AZUL ~ ORGANIC COFFEE FROM GUATEMALA

GUATEMALA - FAIR-TRADE - ORGANIC

Our latest offering has landed from Guatemala. Rio Azul is from the remote highlands of Concepción Huista in Huehuetenango. We've named to after the crystal-clear Rio Azul that winds through the valleys below the Sierra de Los Cuchumatanes, the highest non-volcanic mountain range in Central America.

Grown between altitudes of 1400-2200 masl, the Bourbon, Caturra, Catimor, Pache and Maragogype varieties are hand-picked by smallholder farmers. The coffee is then fully washed and sun-dried. Huehuetenango’s high, dry climate and cool mountain nights help the cherries ripen slowly, which builds sweetness and a dense, quality bean.

The farmers of this coffee are members of CODECH (Coordinadora de Organizaciones para el Desarrollo de Concepción Huista), a second-tier organisation founded in 1998 to help local families overcome socio-economic challenges. Their Fair Trade and Organic premiums go back into farmer training, organic production and community programs. That includes women’s health workshops in Concepción Huista. The organization's organic certification is indicative of its commitment to the environment.

The tasting notes you can appreciate in Rio Azul, a washed, Fair Trade and Organic coffee, are rich caramel, dried apple and mellow milk chocolate, rounded with a balanced sweetness.