Guatemala

Las Gardenias Bundle

three varying expressions of the Huehuetenango terroir

Eddy takes biodiversity and organic principles seriously, building a balanced eco-system with native shade trees.

Gardenias is located further south in Huehuetenango than many lots we have purchased previously.

Producer
Eddy Lopez
Coffee expression
Natural: Fruity & Rich
Honey: Floral & Balanced
Washed: Sweet & Balanced

Regular price: $58.00
incl. vat/tax
Sale price: $58.00
incl. vat/tax
Regular price: ~~$58.00~~
Unit price: per

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Natural, Washed & Honey

Las Gardenias Bundle

Eddy Lopez’s intentional and meticulous approach to coffee production is clear here; three varying expressions of the Huehuetenango terroir. Grown among biodiverse native forest, each lot is processed precisely to create three distinct, yet clean and transparent cups.

The full spectrum is showcased here, from the clean yet deeply sweet washed lot, with heavy notes of dried fruits, through the floral and complex honey, to the rich and ripe natural, where fresh currant notes are backed up by a caramel sweetness.

las gardenias

Honey

This lot is of the Marsellesa varietal, a seldom used Sarchimor hybrid, a cross between high yielding and disease resistant Timor Robusta Hybrids and the high quality Villa Sarchi, often seen in Costa Rica. Marsellesa is known for having a higher acidity than other Sarchimor cultivars. Another way Eddy differentiates himself is through processing; we have purchased natural lots from Eddy in the past, but this is the first honey lot we have ever purchased from Huehuetenango. Here, this leads to a cup profile with notes of floral honey, a deep dried fruit sweetness, and a finish of rich roasted hazelnut.

Las Gardenias

Natural

This lot is of the Marsellesa varietal, a seldom used Sarchimor hybrid, a cross between high yielding and disease resistant Timor Robusta Hybrids and the high quality Villa Sarchi, often seen in Costa Rica. Marsellesa is known for having a higher acidity than other Sarchimor cultivars. Another way Eddy differentiates himself is through processing; this is the only natural lot we have purchased from Huehuetenango, for the second year running. The high acidity of the Marsellesa comes through in ripe currant notes, backed up by a deep and caramel-like sweetness enhanced by Eddy’s careful natural processing.

las gardenias

Washed

This lot is of the Bourbon, known for its sweet and rich cups. Single varietal lots are rather seldom seen in Huehuetenango, where rural farmers often grow mixed varietals on their farms. Another way Eddy differentiates himself is through processing; we have purchased natural and honey lots from Eddy in the past, and this year have also added a more traditional washed lot. Here, this leads to a cup profile with notes of sweet dried fruit, a crisp malic acidity, and a lingering finish of brown sugar.

Guatemala

Huehuetenango

Huehuetenango is located in the north-western highlands of Guatemala, and borders with Mexico. It is home to the highest altitudes in all of Central America, due to the presence of the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes mountain range, which peaks at 3837 masl. This creates lots of high altitude land to grow high-quality coffee, an important crop in an area where agriculture is the largest industry. A dry hot wind also blows in from the Tehuantepec plain in Mexico to the north, which protects crops from frost, allowing coffee to grow even higher up the slopes, often above 2000 masl. These high altitudes also lead to very beautiful scenery, something the area is known for, but also to a remoteness not found elsewhere in Guatemala. 9 different ancient Mayan dialects are still spoken here, and the region is home to some of the best preserved examples of Mayan architecture.

The remoteness also makes sourcing coffee a challenge here, the journey to farms often takes days over unforgiving terrain, and would-be coffee buyers require knowledge of the local dialects, or an experienced guide. We have visited our Guatemalan partners at Primavera for the past six years, and have been stunned by the beauty of both the coffees they have been sourcing, and of this captivating region.

Technical Data

Producer
Eddy Lopez
Region
Huehuetenango
Altitude
1900 masl
Varietal
Marsellesa & Bourbon
Process
Natural, Washed & Honey
Harvest
March 2022

Honey Process

With the honey process a certain amount of mucilage and pulp are allowed to remain on the coffee bean during depulping. The cover will stay with the bean during fermentation and drying thereby contributing to the sugars absorbed by the bean and affecting the flavour notes of the final cup. The amount of mucilage remaining defines the type of honey process - white, yellow, red or black in ascending order of mucilage concentration. If they are processed properly, the coffees can take on quite a lot of sweetness and flavours while remaining clean.

Raised drying beds (sometimes referred to as African drying beds) are often preferable when working with honey processed coffees, because of the additional airflow they allow. The air ensures that the beans dry evenly and reduces the incidence of fungi and bacteria formation. On the other hand, some farmers are accustomed to using sun-exposed patio drying that require a regular raking of beans to avoid moulds. While total fermentation and drying time depend on such choices as well as ambient temperature and moisture levels, red honey processing easily needs two weeks from depulping until drying has completed.