Guatemala Rosenda Vargas
$22.00 – $105.00
We’ve been purchasing coffee from the CODECH group for over a decade, and microlots from Rosenda Vargas for years. She lives in the community of Pojtaj, and her farm sits at 1750 meters, where she grows caturra, bourbon and pache verde. Of the five Microlots we purchased from CODECH this year, this one just might be the best of the bunch.
The dry grounds have a heavy and ripe fruit character; the last couple of times I’ve smelled it I’ve thought of grape jelly. But after shaking the grounds in the cupping bowl, the grape gives way to sweet baked goods, like chocolate chip cookie. They smell great!
In the cup, the coffee is balanced, and the sugar browning character becomes more prominent–think graham cracker and shortbread. There’s also a chocolate or cocoa powder quality that plays a central role. And these characteristics are accompanied by purple fruit and florals, like Concord grape and hyacinth. And tasting it again (I have it in cupping bowls in our roastery as I write this), its purple character reminds me of our Aricha from Ethiopia. It’s not as fruity as that natural, but the quality of the purple fruit is similar. No wonder I’m digging it! There’s a good amount of acidity, but it doesn’t scream. It just lends itself to keeping everything in balance. And as it cools, it becomes juicy. The fruit is more like watermelon. It ticks all the boxes: approachable and crowd pleasing, while offering plenty of depth and nuance. It’s dynamite.
- Location: Concepcion Huista, Huehuetenango
- Elevation:Â 1750 MASL
- Varietal: caturra, bourbon and pache verde
- Process: washed and patio dried
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We’ve been purchasing coffee from the CODECH group for over a decade, and microlots from Rosenda Vargas for years. She lives in the community of Pojtaj, and her farm sits at 1750 meters, where she grows caturra, bourbon and pache verde. Of the five Microlots we purchased from CODECH this year, this one just might be the best of the bunch.
The dry grounds have a heavy and ripe fruit character; the last couple of times I’ve smelled it I’ve thought of grape jelly. But after shaking the grounds in the cupping bowl, the grape gives way to sweet baked goods, like chocolate chip cookie. They smell great!
In the cup, the coffee is balanced, and the sugar browning character becomes more prominent–think graham cracker and shortbread. There’s also a chocolate or cocoa powder quality that plays a central role. And these characteristics are accompanied by purple fruit and florals, like Concord grape and hyacinth. And tasting it again (I have it in cupping bowls in our roastery as I write this), its purple character reminds me of our Aricha from Ethiopia. It’s not as fruity as that natural, but the quality of the purple fruit is similar. No wonder I’m digging it! There’s a good amount of acidity, but it doesn’t scream. It just lends itself to keeping everything in balance. And as it cools, it becomes juicy. The fruit is more like watermelon. It ticks all the boxes: approachable and crowd pleasing, while offering plenty of depth and nuance. It’s dynamite.
- Location: Concepcion Huista, Huehuetenango
- Elevation:Â 1750 MASL
- Varietal: caturra, bourbon and pache verde
- Process: washed and patio dried