Guatemalan Huehuetenango Finca Vista Hermosa “Maduro” Tree Dried Natural Processed

Description

Although a Natural processed, this coffee does not need the same warning as the other FVH natural lot, it is not a overly ferment fruity cup. Much more traditional flavor profile on this one with a super clean prep on it.

Tasting Notes: Smooth chocolate and malt tones. A red fruit hint especially as the cup cools. Buzzy not citrus acidity adds a little depth of flavor. Sweet upfront, mild, delicate and smooth, a winner in my book. Out of the 4, this is most likely the mildest cup. Very clean with a medium body. What points this cup looses in exoticness it picks up with general drinkability.

Roasting Notes: A nice medium roast is the way to go on this cup. Great balance, smooth and clean. Lighter roasting adds a little more acidity and fruit factor, darker loses the fruit, roughens up the cup and adds some roasty notes. Clean prep, not too high of chaff but more than a washed processed.

Good news and bad news on this offering. It was pretty much my favorite out of the 4 (although not by much) and we could only get 231 pounds. Make that 229 after our taste test. Although believe it or not, out of the testers – we had three on staff for the initial tasting. For our favorites I picked the Maduro, Carter chose the “La Vega” lot and Craig the “Vista Hermosa” lot. Cannot ask for a better spread from the farm.

The “Maduro” is an experimental micro-lot from FVH. So, because they were having a dry harvest season, this experimental lot came into fruition. This is not something that can be done in Guatemala often. Commonly growing environments in Brazil can support this method but we have never seen it out of Central America before now. Often called “raisin” processing in Brazil. The cherries are left to dry on the trees, versus being picked at ripeness and dried on patios or raised beds. End result is pretty different from either of the two washed lots or other natural processed offering. Rare for if they get too much moisture during the harvest season, the cherries split and fall to the ground (if not picked at optimal ripeness). This will happen most years.

I have been so excited waiting for these coffees to arrive. We finally twisted Edwin’s and Blake’s arm enough over the years to get them to run us some very cool micro lots and also save us some of the best top lots from the farm! Due to international demand, FVH coffee has been very hard to get, the last couple of years we have been lucky to get 10 bags of a random lot and it has gone quick. This year we have 5 offerings, three are very small lot experiments and two are nice larger top lots.

FVH is a model farm. Edwin Jr. is renowned for his consultant work on the ground in Huehuetenango. If a new farm works with him for a couple of years, its bound to be seen on the COE winning list. Okay maybe I am talking him up a bit too much but over the 15+ years we have been working with him, we have seen it spawn so many award winning coffees and operations including another one of our favorites, Finca De Dios. All of this success is modeled after his own farm, FVH.

Edwin’s farm has won the cup of excellence in previous years and also has been used by Anacafe for the perfect example of what a Huehue. can be.

The original Mayan managed farm and one of the few farms to survive the Guatemalan Revolution. Although this is a farm, if you ever went there – it is more of a village than a traditional farm like we have here. Edwin and his family have very little to do with the actual operations of the farm, its all done by the village. The Guatemalan government really does not extend out to the rural areas so it is up to Edwin and his family to help build roads, schools, doctor clinics, give housing loans and take care of any emergency that may arise – I tell you they do a fantastic job.