About This Coffee
Finca San Agustin, located in Antigua Guatemala, is a small family-owned farm with a rich history and a steadfast commitment to quality. With a focus on maintaining Bourbon as the main varieties, the farm has become synonymous with excellence in coffee production. Owned by Maria Hegel, the farm's day-to-day operations are expertly managed by an agronomist, ensuring meticulous care and attention to detail.
Founded on a deep-rooted passion for exceptional coffee, Finca San Agustin has nurtured and preserved Bourbon variety trees, processing them in a way that showcases the variety’s unique flavors and characteristics. By prioritizing this variety, the farm has become renowned for consistently delivering high-quality coffee that captivates coffee drinkers worldwide.
Through Maria’s unwavering commitment to quality, adherence to sustainable practices and continuous pursuit of excellence, Finca San Agustin exemplifies the essence of specialty coffee. With Maria Hegel's ownership and the agronomist's expertise guiding operations, Finca San Agustin is poised to leave a lasting impact on the coffee industry while honoring the traditions and legacy of coffee production in Antigua.
Cultivation
Finca San Agustin is committed to sustainable agricultural practices. Maria recognizes the importance of preserving the environment and aims to minimize her ecological impact. Through the implementation of responsible farming techniques, she strives to protect the natural resources surrounding the farm and maintain the long-term viability of her operations.
Looking toward the future, Maria remains resolute in her commitment to Bourbon. She plans to continue cultivating this exceptional variety, further enhancing her expertise and deepening her understanding of its unique qualities. By focusing on renovating and planting new Bourbon trees, she aims to bring her coffee production to new heights, constantly pushing the boundaries of flavor and excellence.
Maria seeks to increase her production capacity while maintaining her unwavering commitment to quality. Planting more trees will not only allow her to meet the growing demands of the market but also serve as a testament to her dedication to coffee production.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Ripe, red cherry is selectively handpicked and processed on the farm. Once harvested, cherry is floated to remove any underripes and selected cherry is pulped. Coffee is fermented in tiled tanks for 20 hours and then washed in clean water. Following fermentation, parchment is laid on raised beds to dry. Parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 15 days to dry.
About Antigua
Antigua has historically been Guatemala’s best-known coffee-growing region. The climate and land are perfect for coffee cultivation. The soil is volcanic with frequent eruptions from the nearby Volan Fuego adding a dust of mineral ash from time to time. Humidity is relatively low but constant. Finally, the region gets lots of sun year-round but has those cool nights that assist slow cherry development and are so important to specialty coffee.
Antiguan growers can sometimes fetch high prices due to the fame of the region's coffee. Nonetheless, more and more farms have found it difficult to continue farming, particularly when land in the region is at a premium. Antigua lies not far from the capital city of Guatemala, making it particularly attractive for second homes or even for commuters. Many farms have diminished greatly in size over the last two decades or disappeared altogether, eaten away by golf courses and housing developments. Nonetheless, Antigua persists and still produces exquisite coffees along with great blend components.
Coffee in Guatemala
Guatemala boasts a variety of growing regions and conditions that produce spectacular coffees. Today, the country is revered as a producer of some of the most flavorful and nuanced cups worldwide. We are proud to work with several exceptional in-country partners to bring these coffees to market.
The Guatemalan coffee industry experienced a major setback with the 2010 appearance of Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) in Latin America. The epidemic peaked in severity in 2012, and though CLR continues to affect some farms, Guatemala continues to produce high-quality, record-breaking coffees. In 2017, new and varied processing methods pushed prices at the Guatemalan Cup of Excellence contest to record highs.
The quality of coffee being produced in Guatemala is increasing, overall, due to the diversity of the industry’s producers. There are more and more small holder farmers producing exceptional coffee at high altitudes. Cooperatives are becoming more appealing to so many smallholders because they often offer farmers financing and other support for improving their farming and processing and are frequently able to offer higher prices for cherry than middlemen. Many cooperatives have initiated quality improvement training for farmer members and are becoming more adept at helping members market their coffee as specialty.