Guatemala Buenos Aires, Natural Processed, Light Roast, Microlot

Cupping notes: Cranberry/Clementine/Honey

CoOp: Asociación de Apicultores y Caficultores de Union Cantinil 
Variety: Bourbon
Region: Buenos Aires region of Huehuetenango
Altitude: 1,300-2000m
Process: Natural

Asociacion de Apicultores y Caficultores de Union Cantinil (AAPICUC) was founded in 2011 to help producers cultivate organic coffee in an environmentally-sustainable way. Members cultivate coffee on small farms, about 3 hectares on average at high altitudes between 1,300 and 2,000 meters above sea level.

AAPICUC members are both coffee producers and beekeepers. In fact, beekeeping works in tandem with coffee production. Coffee trees are self-pollinating, meaning they do not need bees or birds to help them pollinate but, bees can help increase total production by as much as 20 to 25%.

Farmers selectively hand pick cherry and typically pulp it on their farms, usually using small hand-powered or electric drum pulpers. After fermenting, parchment is agitated to remove remaining mucilage and washed with clean water. All water used during pulping and washing will be filtered – usually through earthen holes – so that the organic solids do not contaminate local waterways.