Guatemala - El Platanillo Heirloom

Ethiopia is home to the world's greatest genetic diversity of Arabica coffee, with thousands of distinct varieties and landraces, many of which remain genetically unclassified. The term Ethiopia Heirloom broadly describes these traditional coffee populations rather than a single, genetically uniform cultivar. These diverse populations are known for their exceptional sensory potential, often exhibiting expressive floral aromatics, vibrant acidity, and complex fruit character.

Originating from seed collected in Jimma, Ethiopia, this particular selection began as a genetically diverse population exhibiting a range of growth habits and physical characteristics. Through successive generations of cultivation, observation, and cupping, producers Sam and Stuardo Coto selected plants exhibiting a tall growth habit, green-tipped new leaves, and desirable sensory qualities. By propagating these selected plants, they have worked toward establishing a more uniform and distinct expression of Ethiopian coffee genetics, now cultivated in Guatemala's San Marcos region.

Carbonic maceration is a controlled fermentation technique adapted from winemaking that uses a carbon dioxide-rich, oxygen-limited environment to influence microbial activity and flavor development. 

Whole, ripe coffee cherries are placed in sealed fermentation tanks, where carbon dioxide is introduced to displace oxygen. Within this environment, fermentation occurs through a combination of microbial activity and metabolic processes within the intact coffee cherries, encouraging the development of complex aromatic compounds and distinctive fruit characteristics.  This coffee was CM fermented for 96-hours.

Following carbonic maceration, the cherries are depulped and the remaining mucilage is removed through fermentation and washing before the coffee is dried. This combination of techniques seeks to balance the enhanced aromatic complexity and fruit expression associated with carbonic maceration with the clarity, structure, and clean finish typically associated with washed processing.

Although this is a high-intervention processing method, the Coto's and their team have a masterful hand at processing.  The process is not felt in heavy fermentation flavors in the cup but rather it enhances the coffee's innate sensory characteristics.  The result is a clean and clear, vibrant expression of varietal and place.

Situated along the Pacific-facing slopes of Guatemala's Sierra Madre mountain range, San Rafael Pie de la Cuesta is shaped by a warm, humid climate, abundant seasonal rainfall, and the volcanic geology of western Guatemala. Moisture-laden air moving inland from the Pacific interacts with the mountainous terrain, creating a dynamic environment of cloud cover, mist, and shifting temperatures. The region's well-drained, mineral-rich soils and pronounced wet and dry seasons provide distinctive growing conditions for Arabica coffee.

The steep, irregular landscape creates substantial variation in growing conditions over relatively short distances, with differences in exposure, temperature, and moisture contributing to a patchwork of microclimates. San Marcos is among Guatemala's wettest coffee-growing regions, and its combination of volcanic terrain, Pacific influence, and abundant rainfall distinguishes it from the country's drier coffee-producing areas.