Specialty Coffee Guatemala Pampojila Natural

The Maya called this land Pampojilá, “land where the misty clouds rise”. The farm sits on volcanic soil at the top of the Atitlán volcano, above the lake: the almost daily southern wind brings a humid cloud cover that gives the plants natural shade in the afternoon.

Pampojilá was founded and formally registered at the end of the 19th century: for more than 150 years it has produced coffee in the mountains south of Lake Atitlán. In 2012 the Herrera family bought it and restored it after the floods of tropical storm Agatha, planting better Arabica varieties and modernising the processing plant to take care of fermentation and drying.

Alex Herrera: tradition and innovation

Alex Herrera is the fifth generation of a Guatemalan coffee-growing family, with roots in the mountains of the Atitlán volcano. He grew up following his parents between growing and processing, and combined the family tradition with technical training and international experience: high-quality, traceable and sustainable coffees. Every micro-lot reflects respect for the land, for the community and for the history of coffee growing in Guatemala.

The variety: Caturra

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon, found in Brazil in 1937 between Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo: the first spontaneous mutation ever described in coffee. Its dwarfing gene gives a compact plant that can be grown more densely and is easy to pick by hand. At high altitude it produces fewer cherries but of higher quality, with sweetness and citrus acidity: exactly what you taste in this lot grown above 1,480 metres.

The Natural process

The cherry is harvested and then dried; at this stage it can be washed to gain cleanliness in the cup. Drying can take place on any surface: patio, canopy, African beds or industrial dryers such as the “Guardiola”. The process needs a lot of care: in the first days the cherries must be moved often, without breaking them, so that they dry evenly. The result is a coffee with more sugars on the surface, which usually makes sweetness and body more noticeable. It is mostly used by producers at low and medium altitude, in highland areas where climate and geography allow faster drying.

Percolation

• Ground coffee: 15.5 g
• Hot water: 250 g
• Recommended filter: SIBARIST / Hario
• Water temperature: 91 °C
• Steps (excluding blooming): 3 of 70 g each
• Water: 50-80 ppm
• Total time: max 2' 45″

Espresso

• Ground coffee (double shot): 17 g
• Beverage weight: 36 g
• Recommended filter / shower screen: IMS Competition
• Water temperature: 92 °C
• Pre-infusion: 5″
• Water: 50-100 ppm
• Total time: about 25-27″

Moka

• Ground coffee / water ratio: 1:10
• Moka pot: Bialetti / E&B Lab (IMS filter)
• Water: 50-100 ppm
• Total time: about 3'
• Remove from the heat just before it starts to gurgle