Guatemala - El Diamante - Washed

Origin: Guatemala
Region: Huehuetenango
Farm & Farmer: El Diamante, Patricia Pérez
Elevation: 1500-1600 MASL
Processing Facility: At Farm
Varietal: Bourbon, Caturra, Maragogype
Processing Method: Washed
Tasting Notes: Milk Chocolate, Caramel Apple, Guava

Continuing a family legacy of 80 years producing coffee, Patricia Pérez has been growing her own coffee for just over 13 years. Through gathering generational knowledge, she has been able to consistently produce exceptionally sweet, washed coffees, with excellent clarity.

The washed process is when the coffee cherries have the skin, and fruit mucilage, removed shortly after picking. The cherries are initially sent through a pulping machine to remove the skin and majority of the mucilage before being soaked (technically fermentation) in large tanks to loosen any mucilage that remains attached, the beans are then flushed with water (washed) to rinse them clean. The drying can be done either in a variety of ways, large industrial dryers for faster drying in more humid less sunny places, or, more often, they are dried on large concrete pads, and raised beds where the coffee needs to be turned by hand to ensure consistent drying. Finally the beans are sent through a dry mill to remove the final protective layer around the beans, the parchment layer. Once the parchment is removed the beans are ready for a final sorting.

This coffee goes through a 36-hour soak after the de-pulping. Once washed the parchment coffee is dried on concrete pads for 10-14 days. The classic chocolate notes that Guatemalan coffee are known for is definitely apparent in this coffee, balancing with the sweet buttery tang of a caramel apple, and subtle tropical fruit.