GUATEMALA - José Moreira

A sweet and clean coffee with deep, wine-like complexity

THE BEAN

CUPPING NOTES Light Molasses, Sugar Cane, Red Grapes

ROAST Suitable for all brew methods

PROCESS Washed

VARIETY Bourbon, Caturra

PRODUCER Finca El Naranjo, José Moreira

REGION Acatenango

ALTITUDE 1550m

SCA POINTS 86

CROP 2025

THE FARMER BEHIND

The farm was founded by the Moreira Latour family in the year 1920 and it is located between the Fuego and Acatenango volcanoes and the Cerro Balam Juyu biological belt. Today, José Moreira, agronomy graduate of San Carlos university in Guatemala, continues to cultivate coffee with a passion and a quality focus.

A large part of the farm consists of a forest reserve with native trees to the region, as well as conservation of natural pine forest, a specie that has been reduced in the region in the last years. Thanks to five waterstreams that run within the farm, it is able to produce its own hydroelectric power which makes coffee processing more sustainable.

José Moreira was born into coffee. He is the youngest out of five of his siblings. After his father’s passing José kept the original name and the tradition to coffee growing and processing. All coffee is washed processed and it is all done on farm’s premises.

The coffee processing is quite unique as José processes his coffee the day after the picking. The reason for that is the fact that the microclimate in this particular farm comes with very low temperatures which makes the fermentation process very lengthy and uneven. Over the years of trail and error process he has found that posponding depulping one extra day speeds up and evens out the fermentation which helps producing vibrant and complex coffees. All coffees are dried in patios and moved regulary throughout the day.

José looks after his coffees as well as the local community. He found a way to diversify his farm by establishing a dairy production. He produces cheese and milk that is available to the local community. It also provides an extra income throughout the year.