This week, we've chosen to showcase a stark dichotomy with 2 coffees on polar opposite sides of the spectrum from eachother. From Ecuador, a loud, expressive, and juicy washed gesha with tons of tropical fruit, and from Guatemala. a classically processed single varietal separation of Caturra with a lot of comforting and sweet notes. To further emphasize the difference between these 2, we've roasted the Finca Cruz Loma Gesha on our standard light profile to focus in on its florals and acidity, and taken the Victoriana Caturra to a deeper, more comforting Nordic profile to really let the sweetness and deeper chocolate notes shine.
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Guatemala Victoriana Ramirez Caturra Washed:
In the town of Concepción Huista in the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala, Victoriana's farmland sits at 1,610masl, with just under a hectare of land. Despite its small size, the farm has its own ranch house and wet mill, where Victoriana and her family go to stay during the harvest season. At this "Ranchito" closer to the coffee plants, freshly picked cherry can reach the wet mill very quickly and immediately be processed while the coffee is at its freshest. After picking, cherries are depulped and left to ferment overnight to remove leftover mucilage, and then turned out onto tarps to sun-dry for 3-4 days while being turned constantly. This traditional form of processing gives way to the classic Guatemalan cup profile that we know and love, with a tangy and sweet green apple note up top, followed by a creamy marshmallow body and a subtle vanilla undertone. As the coffee cools fully, the deeper chocolate and peanut notes come forward to create a decadent peanut butter cup vibe.
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Ecuador Finca Cruz Loma Gesha Washed:
In San Jose De Minas, Pichincha, Ecuador, sits Finca Cruz Loma at 1,450masl. Owned and operated by Galo Morales and his wife Maria Alexandra, FCL has become very well known for its high quality lot separations, growing sidra, gesha, and caturra with a wide variety of processing methods at their disposal. On their 350 hectare plot of land, Galo and Maria have also diversified their crops to include soursop, corn, beans, and many different citrus trees. This diverse tropical landscape located right on the equator allows for an insanely high quality potential, with last year's harvest being one of our favorites of all time. Finca Cruz Loma's coffee has been lauded with several awards in Ecuador's coffee scene, having been featured in barista competitions and regional quality competitions alike, winning several awards from 2019-2021. The farm has been in Galo's family for over 80 years, passed down through each generation, and still remains a family operation to this day, with his wife and daughters all taking an active role in the production, management, and marketing of their coffee. This specific washed gesha was processed as a traditional washed, depulped and then left to ferment in open-air tanks for 72 hours before being fully rinsed and dried on raised beds for 18-25 days. In the cup, this coffee is dialed in perfectly to an explosive tropical fruit profile containing mango, pineapple, starfruit and some cleaner stonefruit notes like apricot and peach. As it cools, jasmine and magnolia rise to the surface with a lasting finish of starfruit.