Finca Los Capulines Huehuetenango FW

Carlos Eduardo Herrera Villatoro and José Olivio Villatoro cultivate coffee at Finca Los Capulines in San Pedro Necta, in Huehuetenango. Their 47 hectares of land include 2 hectares preserved for wild-growing forests that provide habitat for a diverse range of animals, plants and insects that a vital to the ecosystem. The high altitude provides warm days and cool nights that nurture dense, sweet cherry. 

After selective hand harvest, cherry is pulped and dry fermented for 48 to 72 hours, depending on ambient temperature. Then, parchment is washed in clean water and laid to dry in the sun on either raised beds or patios. It takes approximately 15 days for parchment to dry.

Dry parchment is then bagged and rests on the farm for approximately 5 days before being transported to the Quetzal dry mill in Palín Escuintla. Parchment rests at the warehouse for at least 30 days before being prepared and exported.

Huehuetenango is well-known for its high altitude and consistent weather patterns. The region lies at a nexus of hot air sweeping eastwards from the Plains of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca, Mexico and cool air rushing down from the Cuchumantanes Mountains. The meeting of this hot and cold air creates a microclimate that keeps frost in check and enables coffee cultivation at higher altitudes. Coffee production at 2,000 meters above sea level here is common. These conditions are perfect for producing the sparkling acidity and distinctive fruit flavors of the region. 

Strictly High Grown (SHG) specifies the altitude at which the coffee was grown. A coffee must be grown at 1,200 meters above sea level or higher to be considered SHG. The higher altitude and lower temperatures mean that the coffee fruit matures more slowly, creating a denser bean.  

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