Guatemala Finca La Bendicion Catisic Honey 250g (Coffee Cycle Roasting Co.)

Guatemala Finca La Bendicion Catisic Honey 

Roaster: Coffee Cycle Roasting Co.
Processing: Honey
Elevation: 1800 masl
Varieties: Catisic
Region: San Guayaba, Palencia
Tasting notes: Toffee, Tamarind, Sugarcane

From the importer, La Baia:

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Jose Gomez, first introduced to us by his cousin and our main partnering producer in Guatemala, David Solano of Concepción Buena Vista. David collaborates directly with Jose by providing assistance with dry milling the coffees that are produced at Finca La Bendición. The farm is located in the village of San Guayaba and sits at 1,800 MSAL and the area is surrounded by lush forests and mountainous terrain.

Spanning 2 generations and almost 100 years dedicated to farming on the land where Finca La Bendición resides, the Gomez family began their journey in farming by initially growing potatoes, corn and even trying their hand at dairy farming. After years of many uphill battles and constant never ending economic struggles to sustain the farming operations, Jose feeling extremely frustrated and anxious about the future, he confided in his closest friends and family about what he should do next. He decided to plant coffee on his land and in 1997, Finca La Bendición was born. Today, not only is Jose producing high level quality coffees and exotic varieties, his farm is a great example of crop diversification, as he and his family also grow avocados, bananas and oranges which not only act as shade plants for the coffee trees, but also provide a bit of extra income in the volatile and uncertain business of growing and selling coffee.

REGIONAL INFOMRATION

Palencia, Guatemala, a vibrant small town that reflects the blend of indigenous and Spanish influences that characterize much of the country. Its rural landscape, cultural traditions, and agricultural economy make it representative of many small towns in Guatemala. Palencia was a hacienda during the colonial era. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century, much of the land around what is now Palencia was divided into encomiendas—a Spanish system where land and indigenous labor were granted to Spanish settlers. Indigenous people were often forced to work on plantations, and many communities were reorganized under the Spanish colonial administration.

Palencia was eventually founded as a small agricultural town during the colonial period. The Spanish introduced new crops and animals, changing the region's agricultural practices. In 1624, Mathias de Palencia acquired the hacienda and from that moment the town was called "Hacienda de Palencia". Guatemala gained its independence from Spain in 1821, and during the 19th century, Palencia remained largely rural, with agriculture being its primary economic activity. The town of Palencia was officially formed on May 28, 1872 and the constitution decreed that Palencia had to be part of the northern circuit of Guatemala City, about 28 km (17 miles) northeast of Guatemala City, the nation’s capital.

Although Palencia is part of the Guatemala department, which is predominantly Ladino, it is influenced by indigenous Maya culture. The local population still retains some indigenous traditions, particularly in their artisanal crafts, agricultural practices, and festivals. It is not uncommon to see indigenous clothing (traje) being worn during local celebrations, and traditional music and dances are performed during town festivals.

Technical Information (Production)

This lot is fully manually hand harvested and selected. Once the cherries are selected and separated, they are submerged in clean water to float and to select the cherry by density. Once all cherries are clean and classified by density, the cherries are placed in sealed sacks for 36 hours for the initial fermentation to allow for a longer contact time in whole cherry. Following the initial fermentation phase the coffees are depulped removing the seed from the fruit but allowing a healthy amount of mucilage pulp to remain present coating the parchment. The coffee is placed on raised drying beds to dry for 11 day and then it is finished on the drying patios for an additional 10 days in direct sunlight with constant movement and rotation.

CATISIC VARIETY

On a trip to the town of Fraijanes, Jose came across the Catisic variety. He was amazed by the larger bean size and reputation of its ability to produce excellent quality all while also producing healthy yields. Jose had a friend who imported Catisic coffee seeds from El Salvador, so he decided to begin experimenting with planting Catisic on his farm in 2015. The first test Jose ran once it began yielding cherry was a washed version of the coffee. it yielded a cup score of 84.50 pts SCA. Not satisfied with the results and aiming for improvement, one day, while observing the cherry sitting in a sack, he noticed the deep color of the ripeness, they reached an extreme cherry red that easily measured 24.5 Brix. He immediately began experimenting with different processing methods and eventually reached a score of 88.25 pts SCA.

A cross between Timor Hybrid 832/1 and Caturra. Pedigree selection (selection of individual plants through successive generations) made by PROMECAFE/Salvadoran Institute for Coffee Research (ISIC).

Catisic, a lesser-known coffee variety, primarily associated with Central America, specifically Honduras and Nicaragua. It is considered a high-yielding coffee variety developed through selective breeding to improve resistance, quality, and productivity. Like other coffee cultivars, Catisic has a blend of favorable agricultural traits such as disease resistance and good cup quality, making it a popular choice for farmers in regions that face challenges from diseases like coffee leaf rust. While yield and disease resistance are central to Catisic's appeal, it also produces coffee with very good cup quality. With that being said, by maintaining good cup quality while ensuring high productivity and disease resistance, Catisic helps farmers mitigate the risk of crop failure. This is especially crucial as the coffee industry faces significant challenges due to climate change and the evolving threats of pests and diseases.

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