La Laja Huatusco FW SHG EP 

The Sampieri family has been growing coffee in the fertile soil of Huatusco since 1920. They purchased Finca La Laja in 1980 and, in 1999, established AC La Laja SA de CV (La Laja SA), a broader coffee company. The farm sits in La Laja, Tlatetela, in Huatusco, at 1,130 to 1,250 meters above sea level. The area is mountainous and fed by a network of small tributaries running into the La Antigua river.  

This Fully washed coffee is characterized by a sweet and clean profile, a result of the contributors’ dedication.  

Coffee is grown under shade, while the producers continuously seek new flavors and experiment with different processing methods. The high altitude and cool mountainous climate result in sweet, dense beans that deliver consistent cups. 

Garnica is a hybrid of Mundo Novo and Caturra. This high-yielding, medium-sized plant was first bred at the Mexican Institute of Coffee (INMECAFE) in 1960. Garnica is a close genetic relative of Catuai and the two have similar cup profiles.

SHG means “strictly high grown”. In Mexico, SHG means coffee was cultivate at or above 1,200 meters above sea level. 

EP stands for European Preparation. EP beans are Screen 15+ with a low defect tolerance. 

Caturra, a coffee variety known for its short, compact stature, is a natural mutation of Bourbon. It was first discovered in Minas Gerais, Brazil around 1915. The variety is the result of the mutation in a single gene of the Bourbon variety that made the plant smaller but still high yielding. As it spread, Caturra enabled higher-density coffee cultivation.

As a direct descendant of Bourbon, Caturra is well known for delicate and complex flavors that are often floral and fruity. At the same time, its close relationship with Bourbon means Caturra is very susceptible to coffee leaf rust (CLR) and other common coffee diseases and pests. As a result, Caturra was later bred with CLR-resistant hybrids from Timor-Leste, producing the Catimor and its subsequent varieties.