Guatemala - Finca El Retiro del Quisaya

Coffee first arrived in Guatemala in the 18th century with Jesuits to the monasteries of Antigua. Estates began to spread over the following 150 years, primarily owned by European colonists. The country gained independence in 1821, and coffee production soared, making Guatemala an important coffee producer.
 
The farm was established 100 years ago by the Ortega family and was recently sold to the Arabigos del Sur organization. The name of the farm comes from a river that runs within the land.
 
During the harvest, the cherries are carefully handpicked and delivered to the mill located on the farm. After sorting, the cherries are pulped with an eco-pulper to remove the external fruit and fermented in aerobic tanks for 14 hours. The beans are then washed and put through a centrifuge machine to remove any remaining mucilage. They are then dispersed on patios to dry in the open sun for ten days.