Sierra Azul is a small cooperative that brings together just over 200 small holder farmers living within Southern Mexico’s El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve. Named for the bluish hue of the tree covered mountains of the Reserve.

A look at the specs

Varietal(s):  Typica, Bourbon, Mundo Novo
Processing:  Fully washed & dried on patios
Altitude: 1 000 to 1 900 metres above sea level
Owner: 200 small holder farmers
Town: El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Ejido Capitan Luis A. Vidal
Region:  Siltepec, Chiapas
Country:  Mexico
Average farm size: 3 hectares
Certification: NOP, COR, EU & JAS Organic

Coffee Drying – Typical set up

Siltepec, Chiapas is an excellent coffee growing area with plentiful water, fertile soil and high altitudes. Each small holder member processes and dries his/her own coffee, instead of taking it to a central processing unit.

The vast majority of producers have their own nursery, or share one with a neighbour or family member. Seedlings are grown using the very best cherries from each harvest, which are reserved and set aside. A selection of the best for future generations.

Since all farms are managed organically, all the farmers do weeding by hand, using a machete( https://media.giphy.com/media/tJYRAoBBGi7xS/giphy.gif). For this arduos work, some farmers hire temporary workers, but most still rely on family.

Each producer has his/her own wet-mill.  Coffee is always pulped on the same day that it is picked and is then fermented in cement tanks for about 24 hours. The day after, the coffee is fully washed to remove all traces of residual mucilage. All water used in the pulping and processing is filtered so as to prevent water contamination down stream, and all the remaining pulp is used as compost. Drying patios are usually small but are well kept.

Bringing Coffee to the warehouse

Conclusion

In my opinion, Mexican coffees have become more appealing over the last few years, and I suspect the Coffee leaf rust epidemic which swept across Central America, strating around 2012 had a part to play, among other factors. Mexico has come a long way since then, the result of which seems to be sweeter and cleaner cup profiles.

In the cup expect- Honeycomb, Gooseberry and Cumin with a tart, berry-like acidity. Great in Siphon, Plunger, Mokapot and Epresso. Wet processed traditional varieties, grown organically- Need I say more.

Enjoy the brews.

Finca Lorena is situated in the foothills of El Salvador’s Santa Ana volcano, in the super fertile Apaneca Ilamatepec mountain range. It is owned and managed by Renato Arturo Romero Silva’s, and his family have been farming at Finca Lorena for three generations.

A look at the specs

Varietal(s):  100% Bourbon
Processing:  Fully-washed and dried on patios
Altitude: 1 150 to 1 250 metres above sea level
Owner: Renato Arturo Romero Silva
Town: Canton Buenos Aires
Region:  Apaneca Ilamatepec mountain range
Country:  El Salvador Total size of farm:  20 hectares Area under coffee: 20 hectares

Renato seeks to farm in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way. He uses the very minimum of chemical fertilisers and herbicides on his farm and enriches his soil with organic matter (composted by-products of processing, like Coffee cherry pulp) to ensure his trees have all the nutrients necessary for healthy growth. The farm also collects its own rainwater using tanks and drainage channels.

95% of the coffee grown in El Salvador is shade grown. This allows for slower cherry maturation, leading to a potentially enhanced cup profile.

Shade cover diversifies the ecology and likely increases soil health as well as simulates sugar storage in the seed much in the same way a higher altitude would.

If the coffee plant is grown in a sweltering unsheltered area, it will likely use a fair amount of its sugars for maintenance instead of storing it in the seed and therefore won’t be available to be used in roasting reactions through sugar caramelization and the maillard reaction.

Conclusion

Quite a versatile coffee with maple-syrup, dried fruit and pecan in the cup. A soft stone fruit acidity ties it together. This is a great all-rounder for those who need to please many guests.

I find overly exotic and acidic coffees can become a bit much at times. In fact I would recommend buying Ethiopia Gesha Village or Kenya Gitare to use as a coffee to savour and experience with friends like a fine wine and use a coffee like the above mentioned El Salvador Finca Lorena for everyday enjoyment.

Until next time.

Finca Las Nubes is located high in the mountainous region of Esquipulas in eastern Guatemala, bordering Honduras.

The area is covered with pine and cypress trees and is a natural haven for many species of wild birds. The farm is 236kms from Guatemala City and about a 10 hour drive, there and back. The owner- Don Fabio Solís & his wife, Doña Sonia, are certainly not complaining about the location. The prefer the seclusion.

“Las Nubes” means “The Clouds”, and its called this because of the farms position in the mountainous terrain which is often draped in clouds. When Fabio gave up his job as a lorry driver and bought the finca in the 1980s, there were no roads up to his land, no house and no coffee trees. It used to take the couple four hours to walk up to the farm and three hours back. Gradually, they built up the finca, first selling semi-processed coffee on the local market.

A look at the specs

Varietal(s):  Red Catuaí
Processing:  Fully washed & dried on patios
Altitude: 1,500 + metres above sea level
Owner: Fabio Solis
Town: Aldea La Granadilla, Esquipulas
Region:  Chiquimula
Country:  Guatemala Total size of farm:  35 hectares
Area under coffee: 14 hectares
Prizes: #1 Guatemala COE, 2001

Guatemala Fince Las Nubes – the Surrounding area

The Catuai Variety

Catuaí is a hybrid of Mundo Novo and Yellow Caturra developed by the Campinas Agronomic Institute (ICA) in Brazil  in 1949.  Available in both yellow and red varieties, the cultivar is a high yielding, vigorous plant. Today, Catuaí forms the backbone of 50% of all the coffee varieties grown within Brazil, but of course is now commonly gown in few countries through Latin America. The name means ‘Very Good’ in Tupi-Guarani language.

The most notable taste quality of Catuaí is its sweetness, which is mainly dependent on adequate fertilization by the farmer. Sugar development in Catuai in this way seems appealing for a roaster, although that doesn’t necessarily imply complexity potential. Natural compost has been reported to intensify the sweetness of the coffee as well as improving its overall taste.

Finca Las Nubes and the Cup of Excellence

In 2001 Las Nubes won Guatemala’s first Cup of Excellence competition, with a massive score of 96 out of 100. It was unheard of, as Esquipulas is not widely known for its coffees. Previous placements in the Cup of Excellence competition by farms is a good indication that the coffee is likely to be of superior cup quality.

Conclusion

Guatemala suffered quite a setback in 2012 due to the disastrous coffee leaf rust(Hemileia vastatrix) epidemic. Indeed, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador declared coffee rust a national emergency in 2013. Since then, Guatemala has slowly started to make its way back on to the specialty scene, reminding people in fine roasteries around the world that they haven’t disappeared.

So come and experience isolated Red Catuai from Guatemala grown in sandy- clay soil with a maximum expression of its genetic potential via wet-processing.

In the cup expect: a treacle sugar sweetness, red plum and cinnamon with a mellow, approachable grape like acidity.

Enjoy the brews.