La Colina Natural is a distinctive single-origin coffee from Guatemala by the Berlin-based roastery The Barn, which prides itself on a clean and distinct coffee profile. Here, you can look forward to tropical fruits and a pleasant sweetness—the cup reveals notes of papaya, dried mango, and delicate vanilla, which gradually give way to hints of nougat and candied fruit. The coffee has a silky body and a beautifully balanced character. It’s fresh enough to feel lively, yet pleasantly rounded by sweetness. In our opinion, it’s the perfect choice for a slow morning pour-over when you really want to savor your cup.
Behind this Caturra coffee is producer Antonio “Tony” Medina and his farm, La Colina. You’ll find it in the San Martín Jilotepeque highlands in Guatemala’s Chimaltenango region. Tony is the third generation of his family to farm this land, though he didn’t start growing coffee until 1991. Since then, he has gradually expanded production while maintaining a strong emphasis on quality, for which he has earned recognition in the Guatemala Cup of Excellence competition. It’s also interesting to note that coffee trees occupy only about a quarter of the land, with the rest consisting of protected native forest.
This coffee was processed using the natural (dry) method. Only fully ripe cherries are harvested; after careful sorting, they are spread out on raised drying beds. There, they dry slowly in direct sunlight for approximately 15 days, about 11 hours a day. During drying, the coffee remains in contact with the fruit pulp, which gradually influences the flavor of the bean and helps create a distinctive sweetness and fruity character. The result is a clean and juicy cup with tropical fruit notes, a smooth mouthfeel, and a long, sweet finish.
- Elevation: 1,700 m above sea level
- Farm: La Colina
- Producer: Antonio “Tony” Medina