Tasting Notes

Caramel, creamy citrus, cane sugar and light herbal complexity.

Origin Details

• Region / La Libertad, Huehuetenango
  
• Farm / Silvano Hidalgo, Finca Las Camelias
  
• Variety / Caturra, Bourbon, Sarchimor
  
• Process / Washed
• Altitude / 1,790m

An Exceptional Central American Coffee

La Libertad is located in the western highlands of Guatemala, near the Mexican border. The region is surrounded by mountains and features clay loam soil as well as high altitudes, making it ideal for coffee cultivation.

The Hidalgo family started growing coffee in the region, in the 1950s. In the 1970s, Silvano Hidalgo inherited a portion of the farm and named it Las Camelias after the camellia flowers in his garden. He cultivates coffee varieties such as Caturra, Bourbon and Sarchimor, chosen for their cup quality.

While the farm itself is known as Las Camelias, the name "Finca El Sombrero" was chosen by Silvano to highlight the distinctive nature of this particular lot.

The region's climate is mild, with temperatures between 12° to 24°C and an annual rainfall of 1550 mm. The farms use shading trees like Gravilea and Inga to provide optimal cover for the coffee plants. The pre-harvest practices involve annual pruning, trimming and fertilisation at least once a year.

Harvesting is meticulously carried out by hand to guarantee that only the finest cherries are selected. The coffee is then depulped and placed in dry fermentation tanks for approximately 24 hours.

Afterwards, the coffee is washed in channels and then dried on patios or African beds for an average of 16 days. Once dried, the coffee is moved to a dry mill in Guatemala City, where ti undergoes cupping approval in the QC lab to ensure quality.