JANUARY 13, 2025
Having worked in coffee production all his life, and having served as Vice President of Anacafe, Alex Keller is well-known in the coffee industry. He is committed to organic production and understands its many positive impacts, from the environment to better quality in the cup, is fully aware about the impact of producing organic coffee, have many benefits, not just for the environment, but in the productions over the years, the result of the flavor and quality of the cup. Traditionally, Santa Isabel produces Arabica coffee, but the Keller’s passion for coffee has led them to explore new ideas. After a great deal of experimentation, trial, and error, they are producing high-quality Robusta.
Robusta is not as popular as Arabica in Guatemala, representing just 2% of production. But this might slowly change as the 10 ha that Alex has set aside for Robusta at Santa Isabel has succeeded in producing a naturally sweet, fruit-forward cup.The secret to this wonderful cup is to use the “yellow honey” method for processing the Robusta. Though not new, honey processing is still unique. Cherries are depulped, but dried without washing, so some fruit remains. Unlike natural processing, most of the cherry is removed, but some sticky, honey-like mucilage remains, which is where the process gets its name.
Although coffee was brought over from the Caribbean in the mid-18th century by Jesuit priests, it was used primarily as an ornamental plant and garden crop for 100 years in Guatemala. Coffee wasn’t widely traded, however, until commercial production began in the 1850s. The volcanic soil and various micro-climates proved ideal for growing coffee in Guatemala. Coffee, within a generation, became the country’s most important crop. In 1860, Guatemala exported 140,000 pounds of coffee, and just 25 years later, the country was exporting over 40 million pounds. Large numbers of coffee farmers were German immigrants responsible for many inventions and innovations related to coffee milling. Most of Guatemala’s coffee was exported to Germany until the First World War, when exports shifted to the United States.
Coffee farming practices are similar to other countries in the region, but Guatemala has an abundance of water, volcanic soil, and very distinct micro-climates compared to its neighbors. Although late to coffee, Guatemala recognized and responded to the needs of the emerging specialty coffee sector earlier than most coffee-producing regions. Anacafé, the coffee producers association in Guatemala, identifies seven growing regions: Fraijanes, the plateau south of Guatemala City; Coban, a rainforest region in the center of the country; Huehuetenango, highlands near the border with Mexico; Atitlan, primarily the volcanic mountains on the Pacific side of Lake Atitlan; San Marcos, between Huehuetenango and the Pacific Ocean; Oriente, the driest of the growing regions located near the eastern border with Honduras; and the most famous of all, Antigua, nestled among the volcanoes an hour’s drive southwest of Guatemala City.
Features
CERTIFICATIONS | Organic Certified NOP
COUNTRY OF ORGIN l Guatemala
REGION I Pueblo Nuevo Viñas, Santa Rosa
FARM NAME l Finca Santa Isabel
VARIETAL I Robusta
TASTING NOTES I Dried blueberry, semisweet chocolate, dried apple
ALTITUDE | 1200m
PROCESS | Honey Processed
HARVEST | 2023/24
LOT | 1224
We proudly offer Guatemala Robusta in the following products:
