Venancio Calmo Espresso

On our last trip to Guatemala, our focus was primarily on Huehuetenango. A classic coffee-producing region in the country, with ancestral practices practiced by groups of producers from different ethnic cultures who live in the mountains. Many of them share their passion for coffee growing with other jobs and are incredibly proud of their work.

The reason for our focus is the cup profile we find in the area. Tremendous personality in the cup, balanced, with winey textures, fruit, and above all, very sweet. Our challenge was enormous, as these are small groups with specific logistics until export. We had to go through a bureaucratic flourish to obtain these coffees. It was a tremendous effort to collaborate with these people and convey the hard work they put in.

El Sendero is one of the cooperatives we work with. They were founded in 2018. We had the opportunity to visit them in 2019 and were captivated by their coffees. This year, we were able to see the great progress they've made, the tenacious work of the producers and team to achieve the greater well-being of their community. We purchase from them: producers Juan Alvarado, Nery Pablo, and Josefa Pérez.

Flor de Mayo in Río Ocho is one of the most spectacular places we've ever visited. They welcomed us with freshly made tortillas and an incredible lunch, and they took us to meet the cooperative's best producers, and that's exactly what happened. Their coffees were among the best of the 60 samples we tried.