GUATEMALA RIO AZUL

ABOUT RIO AZUL

This lot comes from the Rio Azul cooperative in the municipality of Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

The region is located near the foothills of the Cuchumatanes range – the highest non-volcanic mountain range in Central America. A mix of warm and cool air currents protects the area from frost, creating favorable conditions for coffee cultivation at altitudes of up to 2000 meters above sea level. The region is characterized by limestone soil with a relatively high pH level, which affects the acidity of the cup. Coffee from Huehuetenango is considered one of the highest quality in Guatemala.

Rio Azul brings together 400 family farms, averaging 0.8 hectares each. In addition to coffee, local farmers also grow corn and beans for their own consumption. Due to limited resources for coffee processing, producers have partnered with Unitrade Coffee – an export company that manages a processing station in Huehuetenango.

PROCESSING WASHED

The main goal of the processing method is to clean the beans from the pulp immediately after harvesting.

Once harvested, the berries are taken to the station, and processing begins the next morning. The coffee is sent to the mill for washing and thoroughly mixed. Berries that float to the surface (floaters) are discarded as they indicate grain damage or defects. In the next stage, the beans are cleaned of pulp using special equipment called a depulper. Subsequently, the beans are dried in guardiolas until the moisture content reaches 12%.

The beans are stored in parchment for one to two months. Before export, they are further cleaned using a huller.