SANTA ELISA, GUATEMALA

We continue our relationship with the exporter Los Volcanes through DRWakefield after the huge delicious success of the last two years. Here is Santa Elisa making its way onto our offer list for the third year. It is fantastic to be able to build your offering around top quality staples, and this lot is just that, one we hope to have for many many more years to come. This lot is the same single variety H1 lot from Santa Elisa in the Acatenango region. It is a fantastic follow on from Roger Chilcon, and offers another complex and easy drinker to our Sweet & Balanced category. The cup profile is big and juicy, filled with red apple and notes of plum. These combine with sweet notes of butter and vanilla for a caramel like finish, with hints of pecan.

SANTA ELISA

Finca Santa Elisa Pachup is an estate located in the Acatenango region of Guatemala near the town of San Pedro Yepocapa. You can find it positioned west of the slopes of the massive Acatenango and Fuego Volcanoes. Fuego has earned its name by being one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It is a large estate encompassing 506 total hectares with 360 hectares planted with coffee. Its size has made the farm an important source of income for many people living in San Pedro Yepocapa. In 2017 despite its size Santa Elisa was struggling to produce with only 700 quintales of cherries harvested.

An extensive refurbishment and more innovative style of management has dramatically increased the farm’s production and it is now producing around 34,000 quintales of cherry. This lot was processed by Los Volcanes Coffee at their mill in Antigua called Beneficio La Esperanza. They have to be extra careful with the cherries due to the large amount of ash that often covers them from Vulcan de Fuego. If not washed well the ash can cause issues for the cherry depulpers. Finca Santa Elisa is actively experimenting with and producing many different coffee varieties. Some of the favourites for Los Volcanes have been their Sarchimor, H1, and Tekisic varieties.

H1 & PROCESSING

H1, also known as Centroamericano, is a highly innovative coffee variety that has had a significant impact on coffe growing in central America. It is a first-generation (F1) hybrid originating from a cross between rust-resistant Sarchimor and the Ethiopian high quality landrace variety Rume Sudan. Centroamericano is resistant to coffee leaf rust, is extremely high yielding and has a better tolerance to heat and drought (in breeding evaluations, it showed production increases of 22–47% over the standard varieties in Central America).

 Centroamericano has also proven to have exceptional cup quality potential when well-managed at high altitudes. It was released in 2010 for farmers in Central America. The variety was created by a consortium including French research institute CIRAD, a regional network of national coffee institutes in Central America (PROMECAFE), and a coffee genebank in Costa Rica (CATIE), showcasing the importance and impressive outcomes of callaborative work on fture coffee varieties. F1 hybrid varieties are still relatively new in coffee agriculture; only a handful have become commercially available to farmers in the last 15 years, and only in select countries.

This lot has been carefully washed to remove the frequent coverings of ash that can cause issues with the pulping machine, it is processed at the Antiguan mill of Los Volcanes. Once washed, pulped and cleaned, it is dried under the sun on patios.

LOS VOLCANES

Los Volcanes are an exporters who work with coffee producers in Brazil and Guatemala. They create quality by increasing productivity at farm level and establishing long term relationships.

This work consists in identifying the key elements unique to each coffee producing area to maximize the flavour and productivity potential.

The team then proceeds to implement programs that will help the producers have a better understanding of their growing conditions and processing methods. These programs are based in the interaction people have with plants and soil in order to build a balanced and healthy environment.

The results are then measured in the ability to replicate quality year after year.

(In partnership with DRWakefield)