Our August 2024 Specialty Estate Coffee hails from Guatemala in the region of Mataquescuintla, Jalapa. Finca Vizcaya has been in Francisco Quezada’s family since the 1980’s. Purchased by his grandfather, the ethical and sustainable use of the property has always been at the forefront of the family’s approach to coffee production. All coffee pulp remaining after the beans are processed is used to create organic fertiliser and bee hives are kept on the property, pollinating the coffee trees and producing beautiful honey.
Francisco’s passion for producing high quality coffee is clearly paying off, with Finca Vizcaya appearing regularly at the Cup of Excellence in recent years. This month’s Specialty is a wonderful example of this hard work, with cherries hand-picked and undergoing an initial 24hr preferment to develop greater depth of flavour and character before the beans are washed. They are then fermented for a further 12 hours in their parchment layer before being washed again and finally laid on the patio for drying; a process which takes an average of 12 days and includes frequent raking to ensure optimal, even drying is achieved.
If you have the chance to try our August 2024 Specialty Estate coffee, roasted in Western Australia by Yahava KoffeeWorks, our talented roasting team have transformed the bourbon and catuai varieties into a rich and balanced brew. With tasting notes of orange, dark chocolate, honey, hazelnut and roasted almonds, Francisco’s coffee is deliciously sweet, clean, and oh so decadent. Harvested between November and April, these beans are grown at altitudes of 1310 – 1980 masl to ensure a slow ripening process for the coffee cherries, allowing them to develop a greater depth and complexity of flavour.
Reading this in August 2024? Grab a bag here.