Guatemala

A traditional Guatemalan coffee processed in small quantities by individual local growers. This makes each lot unique and represents a great challenge for those - like us - who are seeking the very highest quality and a consistent aromatic profile.

The Ayarza cherry mill offers us the perfect solution for obtaining our speciality coffee: thanks to an extensive network of farmers within the region, the processing of the cherries is centralized, which ensures the most rigorous quality standards are upheld. In return, farmers receive a premium for the degree of ripeness and quality of their cherries. Our Guatemala Blue Ayarza Washed Vinoso is the result of 14 hours of controlled fermentation, followed by washing, patio drying and finishing in a mechanical dryer. The result is a fresh-tasting coffee, with floral and vegetal notes, and a delicate aftertaste.

Coffee growing in Guatemala: small-scale farmers, big businesses

We source our speciality coffee from the Ayarza region, a truly unique area. Perhaps it’s the contrasts of the landscape, the lake created by the collapse of two enormous volcanoes, or the altitude providing the strong changes in temperature which have such a significant influence on the quality of the coffee. Here, processing can create two aromatic profiles: one more classic, and one more distinctive and vinous. This is the profile our CEO Lorenzo Martinelli selected when he visited the Ayarza wet mill. While visiting, he met Francisco Nájera, one of the many farmers working nearby. A thirty-year-old father of two children, Francisco is a small-scale producer who cultivates small plots of land covering just under one hectare. Despite the challenges and constant threat of plant diseases, Francisco is passionate about farming, which include developing his nursery services where he grows and sells coffee seedlings to other farmers in the region.

Yes, the speciality coffees of the Selezione line reveal a world of outstanding quality. But more than this, they highlight the opportunities for sustainability and development. One such example is in Guatemala, where an aqueduct was built to conduct clean water to the school near the farming centre in Tajumulco. Additionally, nursery schools have been opened so the farmers’ children can play and learn, while their parents are out in the fields.

"In the Ayarza region, each coffee bean reflects the passion and dedication of local farmers, transforming the ripe cherries into true works of art just waiting to be discovered."

"I personally chose this coffee during a trip to Guatemala: the finish is elegant, leaving the mouth feeling soft and very clean, while the aroma reveals hints of milk chocolate and cherry compote. A medium-low body coffee conferring a delicate aftertaste."