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About Guatemala Finca Santa Sofia

Arrived mid-November in grain-pro.

This is our first time offering coffee from the Finca Santa Sofia farm, and the first time offering coffee from the Alta Verapaz/Coban region in a very long time. Most of our coffee offerings are produced either in the Antigua or Huehuetenango region, but this coffee stood out on the cupping table the first time we tried it.

Finca Santa Sofia is run by Pablo Jose Ferrigno Figeroa, who founded the farm in 1991. While both his father and grandfather opted for land at lower, warmer altitudes, Pablo decided to buck coffee tradition and purchased land in the town of Tactic to start his farm. He named it Santa Sofia, after his eldest daughter, who was born the same year it was founded. It is the only farm in the micro-region, due to unusually cold weather. Their annual output is about 500 bags of coffee, all a mix of Caturra, Catuai and Catimor varietals. Cherries are processed in house, and brought to the wetmill immediately after being picked to be depulped and fermented. Afterwards the coffee is soaked to remove any traces of mucilage before being dried. The farm uses patios to sun dry their crop, but due to constant rain that is not always possible. When necessary, a guardiola (mechanical dryer) is used, with the coffee being rested in between bouts of rotations to stabilize humidity. It is then rested for 21 days in a warehouse before being sent to a dry mill for further milling.

Municipality: Tactic
Department: Alta Verapaz
Altitude: 1675 Meters above sea level
Coffee variety: Caturra, Catuai and Catimor
Processing: Fully Washed
Drying Method: Sundried, finished mechanically if needed

Cup Characteristics: Flavors of peach, stone fruit and red apple, with nuances of apricot and pomegranate. A succulent mouthfeel that holds up well. Layers of flavor.

Roasting Notes: This high-grown coffee can be roasted to many levels - lighter roasts will be characterized by a pronounced acidity and delicate wine notes. That acidity is also sufficient to withstand darker roasting; meaning the coffee, when dark, will not be flat-tasting but will remain vibrant as a single origin or blend component.

Guatemala coffee facts:

Population (2006): 12.3 Million People
Coffee Production: 3.93 Million bags (60 kg)
Country bag capacity: 150 pounds
Domestic Consumption: 1.7 Million bags per year
Coffee Export: 3.8 Million Bags
Cultivated Area: 250,000 Hectares

Harvest:
September to April

Arabica Introduced: Coffee introduced by the Jesuits in the late 18th century and the coffee industry later developed by German immigrants in the mid 19th century.

Farms:
Approximately 65,000

Specialty Coffee Regions:
Antigua, Coban, Atitlan, Huehuetenango, Fraijanes, San Marcos

Botanical Varietals: Arabigo, Bourbon, Typica, Catura, Catuai, Catimur, Maragogype, RobustaArabigo, Bourbon, Typica, Catura, Catuai, Catimur, Maragogype, Robusta

Comments

This relatively small country produces some of the world's top coffees and offers a variety of coffee experiences. Each region has distinct taste profiles, each of which is enhanced, as always, by the care and attention brought by the farm in growing methodology.

There are more than 60,000 small coffee farms in Guatemala with over 30% of the population engaged in the coffee industry.