About This Coffee
Pampojila Farm is named for the Mayan word meaning “land where misty clouds rise” and it lives up to its name. The weather there is incredible and the southerly wind off Lake Atitlan brings a moist cloud covering almost daily that lowers temperatures and allows cherry to mature slowly.
The farm, which sits on the south side of the mountains surrounding Lake Atitlan, was founded in the late 1800s and has been producing coffees for over 150 years. The Herrera family purchased the farm in 2012 and has been investing the farm ever since. In 2022, the Herreras began renovating the farm following the destruction caused by tropical storm Agatha. They planted new varieties and have seen the health and vigor of their trees improve rapidly. The also renovated their wet mill, modernizing it to allow for controlled fermentation and better sun drying conditions.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively handpicked and processed on the farm. The wet mill, which they renovated after tropical storm Agatha in 2022, is equipped with a drum pulper and raised beds. Cherry is pulped and parchment and remaining mucilage is laid on raised beds to sundry. Workers turn parchment frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 20 days for parchment to dry.
Strictly Hard Bean (SHB)
Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) 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 SHB. The higher altitude and lower temperatures mean that the coffee fruit matures more slowly, creating a denser bean.
European Preparation (EP)
EP stands for European Preparation. EP beans are Screen 15+ with a low defect tolerance.
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.