We love a Guatemalan Huehue filter because it is obviously delicious and flawless. It's a fully washed mix of Bourbon and Caturra from Huehuetenango. The farm is called Q'antxabina, and the producer is Isabel Ramirez.

The name Q’antxabina comes from the local indigenous Popti Mayan language. This name refers to a native tree named Guachipilin that you can find around the town of Petatan, and it is also used in Isabel’s farm to provide shade for the coffee plants. Fun fact, Q'antxabina trees have been known to be used by locals to make healing remedies for centuries.

The farm was started by Isabel’s husband more than 20 years ago - but due to low economic resources and low coffee prices, he emigrated to the United States. Isabel took over the management of the land and is now teaching their children about good farming practices. During the harvest, Isabel makes sure that only the ripest cherries are picked, which totals to three picking passes on the farm. The freshly picked cherries are transported with horses to be depulped with a small de-pulper and fermented in water for 48 hours. After fermentation, the coffee is then dried for another six days on a patio.

Huehuetenango is located in the west of Guatemala, on the border of Mexico. This region has the highest mountain ranges in all of Central America and has unique limestone soil that is known for high pH levels. This high altitude also contributes to the acidity and complexity, which we think is where Huehuetenango coffee has a unique advantage.

This specific location is known for being a unique microclimate, mixing the hot winds coming from the Gulf of Mexico with the cooler winds from the Cuchumatanes mountain range. This blend of different winds and temperatures creates a perfect microclimate right at the top of the mountains and also allows coffee trees to grow at high altitudes without being affected by frost damage. At such a high altitude, the plants can grow more slowly, slowing down the cherry development which allows time to bring in more nutrients along with healthy organic compounds. Overall this slow-growing and slow maturation process allows for more complexity, better acidity, greater structure, and of course fantastic flavour.