Between Quetzales and Coffee Part 2

Coffee production in the Eastern Highlands region took off later than elsewhere in the country. The region was more remote and harder to access, and keeping cattle was preferred over farming coffee. Nowadays, there are many "new" coffee farms in the region which previously were cattle farms. Others, like El Morito, combine both agricultural activities in their company structure. Cowboy boots and hats are a common sight in the region.  

First stop: Esquipulas, Chiquimula department 

Chiquimula is a coffee region that is still waiting to be discovered by a larger public of coffee lovers. The region lies close to the tri-border area where Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras meet. 

The diversity of microclimatic pockets generates very distinct cup profiles from farm to farm. Finca Montecristo produces coffees in subtropical cloud forest conditions, while the sibling farm Finca La Ruda some 10 kilometers further away in the Sierra Chirimaj has a dry cold climate. 

We cupped a good deal of surprisingly fruity and intense coffees here. It is definitely worth it to look beyond the classic regions in Guatemala! 

Second stop: Mataquescuintla, Jalapa department 

Mataquescuintla - the name takes some practice but it surely is a region to remember. Here we meet with the charming Jose Roberto Monterroso on Finca El Morito. His office is filled with Cup of Excellence awards and awards for the best milk cows. He surely is passionate about his work in both fields! 

His vision for coffee production is that all quality is made on the tree, and that the post-harvest process basically removes parts of this inherent quality. His aim is to preserve as much as possible the natural expression of the plant and its microclimate, not alter it. 

His farm El Morito consists of four parts: the original farm and the "anexos", which were purchased and added to the farm at a later date. Most of the farm is planted with Pache, Bourbon and Catuai. The highest part of his land under coffee cultivation goes up to 2,300 meters above sea level. Here, he just started new experiments with Geisha and Anacafe 14. The mountainside is planted with trees to protect the young plants from cold winds. The Geisha trees are planted in close pairs so they protect one another while. At the same time, they compete for space, which, in theory, results in a denser tree structure.