LA BENDICION

Finca La Bendición – Guatemala

Origin: Guatemala – Sierra de las Minas (Palencia, Aldea San Guayabá)

Producer: Finca La Bendición – José Alfredo Gómez

Cultivars: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai

Altitude: 1,800 – 2,000 m

Process: Washed – mechanical & patio drying

Harvest: Late February → Early May

Origin and Production

Finca La Bendición is located at an altitude of 1800m in the village of San Guayabá, near the town of Palencia in the Sierra de las Minas region of Guatemala.

This 37.8-hectare farm was purchased in 1930 by Vicente Gómez and Maria Reyes, the paternal grandparents of José Alfredo Gómez, the current owner.

It was originally dedicated to the production of corn, potatoes, and also dairy cows, but this activity was quickly abandoned due to the particularly rugged topography and terrain.

It was José's father who planted the first coffee trees there in the 1960s, and now the entire 37.8 hectares are dedicated to it.

José, along with his 6 employees, cultivates various varieties (Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Maracaturra, Java...) assisted during harvest by about forty seasonal workers, for exclusively manual picking.

The coffee trees grow under natural shade, composed of Shalum, Mora, and Grevillea trees, as well as banana trees. Out of respect for this fertile land, which he considers blessed, hence the name Bendición, José has implemented virtuous agricultural practices by banning the use of pesticides and herbicides.

Process

This coffee is produced using the Washed process.

Due to the high altitude and the microclimate of this region, the harvest is usually later than in the rest of Guatemala. Despite this, they only pick the cherries at their peak ripeness, with a Brix (sugar level measurement) regularly measured between 22 and 24. This slow ripening and harvesting practice result in a complex and particularly rich cup.

Once harvested, the cherries are pulped, fermented, and rinsed before being put to dry. This is partly done in a mechanical dryer to speed up the process at the beginning of drying, then finished more slowly on patios.