Guatemala Nicolas Ramirez Filter

Tasting notes: Nectarine jam, currants, chocolate.

Coffee breakdown:
Country: Guatemala
Variety: Bourbon
Process: Washed
Altitude: 2050 masl

Finca Quejina has been in the Ramirez family for generations. What started as forest land slowly transformed into a dedicated coffee farm, transitioning through some intercropping to the present day, where coffee is the only crop grown on the farm.

Huehuetenango, located in Western Guatemala near the Mexican border, is coffee heaven. Its high altitude, diverse climate, and abundant water sources make it one of the top coffee-producing regions in Latin America.

Guatemala's coffee industry is as diverse as its people. Many farmers belong to one of the 20+ recognised indigenous groups, working as smallholders, either independently, within cooperatives, or loosely connected through cultural ties. In 1960, growers banded together to form Anacafe, a national coffee institute that offers everything from research and marketing to financial support. But the journey hasn't been all smooth sailing. A major outbreak of coffee-leaf rust in 2012 reduced yields by as much as 25%, forcing farmers to adopt creative solutions such as organic and chemical treatments, aggressive pruning and replanting, and replacing traditional varieties with rust-resistant ones.

This particular varietal is a natural mutation of Typica-derived coffees that once grew in Yemen and were later brought to Bourbon Island off the Madagascan east coast, now known as Reunion Island.

Nicolas focuses on quality from the start. Cherries are picked ripe, depulped the same day, fermented for 18 to 24 hours, then washed and dried for about 3.5 to 4.5 days, depending on the weather.