This is the collection for our "new release" coffee, usually there should...
| Back to Overview | Published: 11/10/18 | Duration: 3 min read |
Antigua is one of the oldest coffee growing regions in Guatemala and it is the home of Finca Santa Clara. The farm is surrounded by three volcanos: Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. More than just framing an idyllic view, the volcanos provide an excellent micro-climate with nutritious soil feeding Santa Clara's coffee plants.
A unique taste
We have chosen a natural processed microlot from Santa Clara with a sweet and confident character. When tasting the coffee for the first time, we were amazed by its unique flavour profile: Intense flavours of tropical fruit, guava and starfruit are combined with a silky mouthfeel. Childhood memories come up with a delicious aftertaste of wine gums.
The producer
After finishing his studies in agronomy in the United States in 1989, Ricardo took the family's farm operations under his wings. His passion and love for coffee transformed Finca Santa Clara into a state-of-the-art production facility.
Four generations of the Zelaya family have written the unique story of the farm. In 1908 Ricardo Zelaya´s great-grandfather found his passion for growing coffee and contributed to a long tradition of coffee making.
Ricardo continuously invests in improving the operations to ensure high levels of production quality, which resulted in winning more than 10 prestigious awards.
The processing
Ricardo is an expert in producing high-quality microlots with different processing. His honey, natural and washed coffees are scoring highly and are extremely clean and unique. In fact up until recently Guatemala was known for producing washed coffees predominantly. Over the past few years, Ricardo developed a skillset for producing high-end naturals and honeys.
The handpicking, sorting and drying of his cherries are handled with great care. In order to support the families that are working for him, Ricardo has built accommodation and a children's playground on his premises.
Cherries of our natural microlot were dried in a greenhouse where temperature and humidity are controlled. The coffee is placed on layered shelves and the trays are moved systematically to ensure slow and even drying over 25 days.
This process allows the cherries to dry slowly, preserving their quality and bringing out the sweetness of the coffee.
Environmental responsibility
Ricardo has established high sustainability standards. The natural spring water at Santa Clara is being recycled and reused. The water goes through filters that take out the solids. After that, organic products are added to finish cleaning and filtering the water.
Parchment and pulp are given new uses in order to reduce waste. The parchment is utilized as fuel for the dry mill. The pulp is composted by earthworms and applied as an organic fertilizer in the coffee fields.
Social Programs
The family is devoted to helping the local community. A scholarship program was set to support the farm workers and their children’s education. Other programs aim to empower women through workshops and to give access to clean drinking water. By bringing people together around coffee and supporting them, the community prospers and builds up sustainable homes.
Releasing Santa Clara Espresso
Today we release our Santa Clara Espresso to celebrate the opening of our new Café in Friedelstraße 27 in Berlin-Neukölln. If you miss that, freshly roasted beans are also available in our webshop and all our cafés.
