About the coffee
- Cupping notes: Outstanding body, balanced acidity, sweet, with notes of orange, milk chocolate, and honey
- Cultivation: Grown in the mountains of the Huehuetenango region in western Guatemala
- Altitude: 4,600-5,400 feet
- Tree type: Bourbon, Caturra
- Preparation: Washed, sun-dried on patios and rooftops
About the people who grow it
Top: royalny.com, used by permissionBottom: Jake Liefer, flickr.com
Many coffee aficionados are familiar with Huehuetenango and its stellar reputation for specialty coffee. But few have ventured to this isolated corner of Guatemala. A team from my importer has gone many times over the years. In fact, they were the first to import Fair Trade certified coffee from Asociación Barillense de Agricultores (ASOBAGRI).
The rugged terrain of the area has preserved the indigenous heritage, distinctive clothing, and dialects that can vary from one mountain ridge to the next. ASOBAGRI has become an important bridge for these local coffee farmers to the international specialty coffee community. The coop was founded in 1989 by 20 Mayan coffee and cardamom farmers. The members of ASOBAGRI are from approximately 30 small villages in the Huehuetenango region, surrounded by the Cuchumantanes mountains and the Maxbal Forest Reserve. The coffee is grown under guava, plantain, and banana trees. ASOBAGRI promotes sustainable agriculture by training its farmers in organic production methods, investment in infrastructure, and operating their own warehouses and drying patios. By now, the cooperative is one of the most sophisticated and well organized in the world. They have over 1,400 members, spread across 80 communities, who cultivate and harvest their own coffee on small farms with their own micro-mills. ASOBAGRI is also committed to promoting gender equality throughout the organization.
This particular lot of coffee is not only certified organic, and fair trade, but has also earned a “special reserve” classification.
The rugged terrain of the area has preserved the indigenous heritage, distinctive clothing, and dialects that can vary from one mountain ridge to the next. ASOBAGRI has become an important bridge for these local coffee farmers to the international specialty coffee community. The coop was founded in 1989 by 20 Mayan coffee and cardamom farmers. The members of ASOBAGRI are from approximately 30 small villages in the Huehuetenango region, surrounded by the Cuchumantanes mountains and the Maxbal Forest Reserve. The coffee is grown under guava, plantain, and banana trees. ASOBAGRI promotes sustainable agriculture by training its farmers in organic production methods, investment in infrastructure, and operating their own warehouses and drying patios. By now, the cooperative is one of the most sophisticated and well organized in the world. They have over 1,400 members, spread across 80 communities, who cultivate and harvest their own coffee on small farms with their own micro-mills. ASOBAGRI is also committed to promoting gender equality throughout the organization.
This particular lot of coffee is not only certified organic, and fair trade, but has also earned a “special reserve” classification.