Guatemala La Esperanza

Where in the world?

WHAT’S THE STORY?

Oops we did it again…we blind cupped a load of Guatemalan coffees from the excellent Primavera exporter/importer, chose our favourite, and it was the La Esperanza from producer Francisco Morales. We had this coffee in 2023 and as it turns out, it’s equally sumptuous this year!

It’s an absolute classic Hue Hue profile, sweet cherry fruit notes oozing with milk chocolate richness and a surprisingly defined flavour note of melon. As a filter coffee all those layers are there right through the cup, with the chocolate and cherry there from the first sip, the malic acidity from the melon long on the finish. It works fantastically well as espresso, as you can imagine, the chocolate cherry notes being particularly highlighted which makes for particularly delightful flat whites.

We never take for granted the skill and dedication of farmers like Francisco, who have dedicated their lives to learning and developing their farms to produce ripe and sweet coffee cherries, selecting the best varieties for their own unique growing conditions. Growing under the shade of Chalum and Grevillea trees, the cherries are allowed to ripen slowly as well as drawing up nutrients from the soil. These factors make for a brilliant washed coffee, with all the flavour and sweetness being locked up in the cherry seeds that are hulled and fermented for around 24 hours before the remaining mucilage is washed off.

Francisco’s son Desvin is in charge of the processing of Esperanza’s lots. The coffee is
depulped the same day as harvest and dry fermented around 24 hours (but
this can vary based on the ambient temperature each day). The coffee is
then dried on the cement patio under shade nets, to improve the gradual process of drying of the coffee and with the aim to enhance flavour. The result is a resounding “OH YEAH” from Team H&G.

Francisco Morales and his wife have been the proud owners of La Esperanza farm in Cipresales for over 40 years. And they have achieved a great deal. Like many other producers, the initial years of starting their farm were very challenging ones. La Esperanza translates as “The Hope”, and defines how important coffee production is for them.

Thanks to the hard work, dedication and commitment of the family, the farm has grown into a business that provides income for the household and generates a source of employment for many others in the surrounding area.

Francisco is the type of person that never feels done learning new things. His eagerness to hear experiences from others, and try out new things at the farm, wet mill or drying area, makes him a delight to work with, as Primavera, the exporters and importers of this coffee have found . His curiosity and interest for improving coffee quality resulted in winning several prizes at the Huehuetenango Highland competitions