LA COLINA NATURAL

La Colina is alive with notes of ripe pineapple and rich tropical fruit. As it cools, the sweetness is like caramel and prune: soft and velvety. Natural processing brings a slight booziness but the profile remains beautifully balanced.

Located in San Martín Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango, La Colina - The Hill - is named for the steep elevations of the area. Antonio is the third generation of his family to farm here, and began by planting by grains and pulses. However, he told us that it has always been his dream to farm coffee, and in 1991, the first coffee tree was planted.

Slowly but surely, Antonio increased the number of trees and the production capacity of La Colina. Nine years ago, Antonio built his own processing facilities, and with his focus on quality rather than quantity, he has achieved excellent rankings in the Guatemala Cup of Excellence competition.

The coffee grows within a beautiful landscape of oak, cypress, and pine. The farm benefits from multiple streams, with fresh water for irrigation and processing. Only one quarter of his farm is planted with coffee, while the rest remains native forest, certified by the National Institution of Protection of Forests.

Freshly picked cherries are transported to the dry mill and sorted, before being placed on raised beds to dry. Natural coffees from La Colina spend about 15 days in direct sun, with 11 hours of sun during the harvest season.