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Acatenango Valley is a hidden jewel
in the world of Guatemalan coffees. Since the 1880’s,
farmers have grown coffee under dense shade, on the foothills
of Acatenango volcano. Today, small producers and family-run
farms cultivate the hills as high as 6,500 feet (2000 meters).
The forest they create is a gift; a lush ecological refuge
for countless species of local and migratory birds. Temperate
gusts from the Pacific Ocean shield the region from frost
and infuse the air with the ideal amount of humidity. Constant
eruptions from nearby Fuego volcano keep the coarse, sandy
soils full of minerals. Marked seasons allow coffee to be
sun-dried, and processing follows age-old family traditions.
Starting on December until the middle of
March every year, over 3,000 producing units from the zone devote
to pick the valued grains that may belong to the varieties Bourbón,
Caturra or Catuaí. The result is an exquisite, fragrant
coffee, with a marked acidity, balanced body and a clean,
lingering finish, able to satisfy to the most demanding
consumers.
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