Guatemala: Francisco Lopez
- Origin: Francisco Lopez Washing Station, Huehuetenango, Guatemala
- Geo coordinates: 15°44’37.6″N 91°39’21.3″W
- Altitude: 1.550 m.a.s.l.
- Coffee farmer: Francisco Lopez
- Plant: Caturra und Bourbon, 100 % Arabica
- Processing: washed
Late ripened, sweet coffee cherries
The coffee is named after the coffee farmer Francisco Lopez, who cultivates in the Huehuetenango region. At 1,550 m.a.s.l., Francisco Lopez’s washing station is at a very high altitude by Guatemalan standards, and so the cherries here ripen late during harvest time. This makes the cherries very sweet and provides optimal conditions for an exceptional coffee.
Francisco Lopez attaches great importance to the careful preparation of the cherries. After picking, the ripe red coffee cherries are separated from unripe cherries by floating them in a water bath and then mechanically de-pulped, i.e. the beans are separated from the pulp. Then the remaining pulp („mucilage“) is separated from the bean by fermentation in a water tank. Finally, the beans are placed on raised drying beds to dry evenly and are turned by hand at regular intervals. After about 10 days, the beans have reached the optimal residual moisture and can now be packed in jute bags for export.