Chocolate-covered sour cherries, sweet vanilla, and a dash of rum. It sounds like a dessert from a luxury praline shop, but this time it’s the Guatemalan Finca La Senda CM coffee from the Czech roaster Beansmith’s. The distinctive flavor of cherries in dark chocolate is complemented by a delicate vanilla sweetness, while rum notes add a warming character and a long finish. The coffee has a silky-smooth body, medium acidity, and an intense fruity profile reminiscent of sweet pralines with an alcoholic filling. If you enjoy bold coffees, this one might catch your interest.
The story of Finca La Senda in the Acatenango region of Chimaltenango, Guatemala, began in the 1940s, when the father of the current farmer, Arnaldo, started growing coffee there. For many years, Arnaldo supplied his harvest to a local cooperative until, in 2017, experts recognized its potential during a blind tasting. Together with his wife, he therefore built his own processing facility and focused on experimental fermentation methods. The farm is situated on the slopes of Mount Balám at an elevation of 1,550–1,970 meters above sea level and benefits from fertile volcanic soil. During the harvest, approximately 70 people from the surrounding village find work here.
This lot consists of the Bourbon variety, known for its sweetness and potential for a complex flavor profile. The coffee underwent natural processing with carbonic maceration, a special fermentation method inspired by winemaking. Carefully selected ripe cherries are placed whole into sealed tanks filled with carbon dioxide, which displaces oxygen and creates an environment for controlled fermentation. Unlike conventional anaerobic fermentation, certain processes can also take place directly inside the cherries thanks to their intact skins. In the case of Finca La Senda, fermentation lasted up to 450 hours—nearly 19 days! The whole cherries are then slowly dried on raised beds until they reach the desired moisture content.
- Producer: Arnaldo and his family
- Farm/processing station: Finca La Senda
- Elevation: 1,850 m above sea level
- SCA score: 87.5 points