Calahute

This coffee was grown at Calahute, a farm owned and operated by Alfonso Anzueto, in San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. This is microlot, is a separation of Maragogype. Calahute is a 256 Hectare farm, located between 1300-1500 MASL.

The processing for this coffee was the traditional Washed process. Ripe cherry is meticulously harvested by the local workers who are trained by Alfonso, these cherries are then hand-sorted before being weighed. Then its pulped, and fermented for 24-36 hours in cement tanks. After fermentation, the coffee is washed, and graded by weight in long channels. The drying takes place on patios, for 7 -12 days, being covered from sunlight during the final days of drying. The coffee is dry milled on premises, giving Calahute more control over the production.

To us this is a squeaky clean and exciting Traditional Washed lot. Its a very nicely textured cup, the acidity and crisp fruit notes remind of us a refreshing White Wine, maybe resembling a Resiling or an herbal and refreshing Sancerre. The stone fruit is deep and comforting like apricots or Fig, with a great depth or sweetness and balance. Its slightly floral as well, with a Honey like aroma that’s subtle and comforting.

Here is an exchange with Alfonso and Melbourne Coffee Merchants:

“It was Alfonso’s father (Alfonso Sr.) who first planted Maragogype at Calahute some 30 years ago. The variety is a natural mutation of Typica first discovered in Bahia, Brazil in 1870. It is notorious for its large size and distinct, vibrant flavour profile. When we asked Alfonso about the variety, he told us he was, “grateful to get the chance to showcase a different variety” with Australia’s coffee community. “It is one of our oldest plots,” he went on, “my dad was one of the first to bring Maragogype to HueHue, he got it directly from El Salvador,” a country that specialised in its production after spending 30 years developing the Pacamara variety. “Our Maragogype was in the lot that placed us in 2018’s Cup of Excellence,” he told us when we asked him what he would tell Australian coffee drinkers enjoying it for the first time. “It’s very good seed quality; one just has to find the right way to roast it, because it is a large bean, but once you do your customers will love it!””

I really appreciate when we get the opportunity to bring in a unique cultivar that’s been processed in a really low-tech way. I think this really lets the skill of the producer and coffee take center stage. We’ve then done our best to step out of the way, and roast this in a way that lets the coffee do the talking.

All our coffees are sold as whole beans.