Guatemala Granada from the Ostrava-based roastery Father’s Coffee Roastery shows that even a milder coffee can have a playful flavor profile. In the cup, the sweetness of ripe plums meets a soft, slightly creamy note of cashews, while lemon balm tea adds a fresh, herbal finish. The coffee thus comes across as sweet and juicy, yet clean and light, with a profile that is subtly unusual and one you won’t soon forget.
Granada comes from the Finca La Bolsa farm in the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala. The farm was founded in 1958 by Jorge Vides, a doctor who, in addition to his medical practice, also devoted himself to growing coffee. Today, it is run by the next generation of the Vides family, who continue to prioritize quality and the long-term care of the farm. Finca La Bolsa is also notable for its involvement in the local community. As early as 1980, Jorge Vides founded a school here that remains in operation today, and the family currently supports several other schools, scholarships, and tree-planting projects.
This coffee is a blend of the Caturra and Bourbon varieties, which have been grown at Finca La Bolsa since the farm’s founding. Bourbon is a traditional Arabica variety prized for its high potential for quality in the cup, while Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon with a more compact growth habit, which has allowed it to spread throughout Central America. The coffee underwent dry (natural) processing. Ripe cherries are handpicked based on ripeness and sugar content, which is measured on the farm using a refractometer. They then undergo a 36-hour pre-fermentation directly in the collection bags. Afterward, they are sorted and dried whole on African drying beds for 18 to 20 days, during which time they are turned regularly. It is precisely the natural processing method that helps bring out the coffee’s sweeter and fruitier character.
- Farm: Finca La Bolsa
- Producer: the Vides family
- Elevation: 1,300–1,600 m above sea level