Guatemala FTO Honey Process Chuacús

This coffee is the product of a small holder cooperative in Western Guatemala, FECCEG, who work with indigenous groups in some of Guatemala's rural zones. They focus on organic production, and while coffee is central, their work goes beyond that. They provide technical assistance to farmers, and establish community-based programs that support primary education, and address issues like gender equity, and food scarcity. This particular dry process lot is from farmers in the indigenous Mayan region of Quiche ("K'iche' "), one of the most densely populated Departments in Guatemala. Much of the coffee growing areas are settled along the Chuacús mountain range that runs from El Quiche to Baja Verapaz, and farms for this coffee range from 1600 to 1700 meters above sea level. A few years back the cooperative built a wet mill and processing site in the town of Joyabaj, centralizing the cherry collection from surrounding villages, and allowing for greater quality control. This is a honey process coffee, which involves pulping the coffee of the outer cherry, and then drying it with the sticky fruit mucilage still intact. While maybe not as fruity as the dry process lot we sold out of, this honey coffee still has a lot of fruit character to offer in the cup, along with thick body, and bittersweet intensity. It produces a lot more chaff than a wet process coffee, so be sure to vacuum your roaster between batches.