About This Coffee
Gonzalo Hernandez and Jose Padilla founded Coffea Diversa Suchitan in 2011. They were inspired by the Coffea Diversa garden in Biolley, Costa Rica and requested seeds from the garden. They searched far and wide for the best region in Guatemala for cultivating the unique and high-quality varieties present in the garden. They decided upon Volcan de Suchitan as the best microclimate to nurture these varieties and help them reach their full potential. Today, they successfully cultivate a plethora of specialty coffee varieties including Geisha, Laurina, Mokka, Sudan Rume, Typica Xanthocarpa and more.
Cultivation
The Volcan de Suchitan region provides an ideal microclimate for cultivating specialty coffee. The soil is volcanic and nutrient-rich, thanks to eruptions from the nearby volcano. High altitudes reaching over 2,000 meters create the perfect climate of warm days and cool nights. Inga, avocado and native trees provide ample shade for growing coffee trees.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively handpicked and only ripe, red cherry is processed. Cherry is laid on raised beds to sundry slowly and is raked frequently to ensure even drying.
About Geisha
Geisha (also known as Gesha) is known for its exceptional cup quality, especially when grown at high altitudes. The variety comes from Ethiopian landrace coffees and was collected from Ethiopian coffee forests in the 1930s. The name supposedly derives from Ethiopia’s Gori Gesha forest.
There is some confusion with several genetically distinct varieties that have all been called Geisha, but the most famous variety is the Panama one. The variety was brought to Lyamungu research station in Tanzania and from there to Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Central America in 1953. At CATIE, the variety was logged as T2722. CATIE distributed T2722 across Panama in the 1960s for its Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) resistance, but its brittle branches meant it was not widely planted.
Panama Geisha reached its modern fame in 2005 when a Geisha lot won the “Best of Panama” competition and broke contemporary records at over $20/pound. DNA analysis has demonstrated that the Panama Geisha descended from T2722 is distinct and uniform. Today, Geisha is known for its delicate florals, jasmine and stone fruit.
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.