Victor Calderon / La Pia
This lot from Palencia speaks to our fondness of this micro-region: a hint of orange zest is wrapped around nougat, sweet apple and chocolate.
Don Victor's grandfather, Don Florencio Calderon acquired a farm by the coast back in 1885. The farm focused on volume production, and Don Florencio’s descendants kept this business model for many years and generations. The Calderon family in descending order from Don Florencio, Don Marcos his son, Victor his grandson, Marcos, his great grandson and father of the current Victor Calderon have been in coffee for almost all of Guatemala’s coffee history.
Along the way, there have been different professions, but they always come back to coffee. For example, Victor’s grandfather, Don Victor senior collaborated with Dr. Rodolfo Robles in discovering the microfilaria parasite that is transmitted by mosquito bites in some regions of Africa and Central America, and that causes a disease that renders the patient blind. Field work took place in their coffee plantations in Guatemala.
However as fascinating as the long coffee history may be, it has been kept alive by the vision of Don Victor Calderon who noticed the changing trends in the coffee industry and let go the coastal operations of mass produced coffee to specialize in fine coffees. The coastal farms are more suitable for rubber plantations, and soon they turned to rubber 100%. He acquired La Pia in 2000, and has focused on specialty coffee. The farm, as well as producing coffee, is also producing avocado, and some other native fruits to the area. By diversifying the plantation, don Victor has achieved an interesting balance that allows for a very efficient and productive land. The farm is also only planted with coffee in areas that allows for easy and safe movement for the pickers and farm workers.
The other half of the farm is steep slopes, rocky terrain and thus been left alone. It is certified by the Guatemalan Institute for forest protection, and registered as a natural reserve, which gives the farm an enclosure that only thick natural forest can provide.
Region Palencia, Guatemala
Altitude 1700-1800 MASL
Process Washed
Varietal Bourbon and Caturra
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Sorting Level
11-11.5%
All our roasted coffees are run through an AI-powered optical sorter. This extra step ensures that you receive only the most nutrient-dense, flavorful coffees from each lot. The machine is also capable of removing any foreign objects (corn, metals, rope, to name a few) from the rest of the coffees.
The higher the percentage, the more coffee is being removed in order to achieve a truly pristine product. We liken this to how sake-makers "polish" during production in order to reach a higher-quality product.
Nothing goes to waste: the rejected coffees are re-roasted and sold to local markets.
Variety / Cultivar
Sidra
Originally from Ecuador, the Sidra variety has come to fame for it's notable quality at top-level coffee competitions. It's reported to be a cross-breed of Red Bourbon and Typica. At it's best, Sidra coffees are noted to be naturally floral and intensely sweet.