About This Coffee
Roberto Monterroso cultivates coffee on his farm, Finca El Morito, in Jalapa, Guatemala. This coffee comes from the Rio Dorado plot at Finca El Morito. The entire lot is Pacamara, a variety created by theInstitute for Coffee Research (ISIC) in El Salvador in the 1950s. The variety is a cross of Pacas (a Bourbon mutation) and Maragogype. Pacamara is relatively short with high productivity and is prized for its large cherries. The name comes from the first 4 letters of each parent.
Cultivation
Coffee is grown under shade that’s provided by a range of local varieties, including cyprus, guachipilín (American Diphysa) and several varieties of oak.
In addition to the Pacamara in this lot, Roberto also cultivates Geisha, Catuai, Bourbon, Pache, San Ramon and Anacafe 14 on his farm.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Coffee is selectively handpicked and processed on Roberto’s farm. Ripe, red cherry is pulped and then fermented in tanks for 24 hours. Following fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water and laid to sundry. Parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 12 days for parchment to dry.
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.