Guatemalan Huehuetenango Finca La Providencia Palhu

Description

Maximiliano Palacios (Max),  created the name “Palhu”  by combining the family name Palacios and the department of Huehuetenango.  The heart of La Providencia, Max’s 600 acre estate located in the municipality of San Pedro Necta, is a beautifully maintained mill launching from a highpoint on the sloped property where ripe cherries are placed in water and carried through a series of intricate canals designed to take full advantage of gravity.  The panoramic view of the entire farm from this perch easily pulls one’s attention from the cherry flowing past to be depulped.

After 36 hours fermenting in a large tile covered tank, the coffee is mechanically washed with a demucilager to reduce water contamination, and then pushed back into a canal where water and gravity join forces again to drag the coffee through long classification channels to separate out less dense beans.  The coffee conveniently falls from the channel onto the patio where the water runs off and the parchment can dry in the sun. Dried parchment is taken to a dry mill in Guatemala City where Servex, another long time partner prepares the coffee for export.

Tasting Notes: Clean, rich and semi-sweet, the cup is medium bodied with a little new crop winy acidity upfront. Hints of a grape skin like fruitiness with “before 2nd crack” roast levels. The crisper, brighter tones commingle with a semi-sweet strong malt like darker tone. We thought best served in the medium roast ballpark but it will handle lighter or darker roasts as well. Light roasts will be brighter, a bit more lemony with the malty tones a bit on the dry side, a sweeter edge to it. Darker roasts promote the bittersweet malt tones, heftier cup with a smoky edge.  Great balance right in the middle.

Roasting Notes: Roasts a little two toned, lighter roasts you may need to flick a bean or two if looking for an exceptionally clean cup, anything super pale colored good to flick. Medium to dark were very easy roast points to hit. Gets a little sheen on the surface pushing into the medium roast ballpark. Medium to low chaff.