Country: Guatemala

Farm: Hoja Blanca

Farmer/Grower: Petronilo Martinez

Region: Huehuetenango

Varietal: Maragogype

Process: Washed

Altitude: 1,650 MASL

We Taste: Root Beer, Rolo, Orgeat

Description:

Picking: Coffee cherries handpick at 23°-24° Brix, to ensure optimal ripeness and sugar content.

Fermentation: The cherries undergo a 36-hour fermentation in sealed grainpro bags with continuous monitoring of temperature and pH levels. Second

Fermentation: The cherries are fermented for 40 hours in sealed anaerobic tanks.

Drying: The beans are spread out on raised beds in a concrete patios under the sun for 3 days then the beans are spread out on raised beds in a greenhouse for 17 days. They are turned manually every two hours to ensure even drying and covered each night to prevent re-moistening. The drying process continues until the coffee reaches an optimal moisture content of 11-12%

Father Petronilo Martinez and son, Petronilo Jesus, manage this farm on the Mexican Border. They named their farm after the avocado trees that were planted throughout the plantation.

The family is big. They are very unified, and incredibly hard workers. Petronilo de Jesus Martinez and his wife Demetria Castillo Recinos have 8 children, 23 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Most of the family is working in coffee at different levels, from Petronilo's award winning producer son-in-law Aurelio Villatoro to his son Petronilo, a forestry engineer. Petronilo is in his eighties now. He enjoys walking on the farm to enjoy the sunshine and sounds of the river, watching his favorite soccer teams on TV, and reading his Bible.

These distinct lots are found in several altitudes and locations around the area of Hoja Blanca, from 1400 to 2100 masl. They represent the quality of Huehue coffees, the unique flavors due to the very active micro-climates of Hoja Blanca and the quality soils in which they're grown. The forests surrounding the farm and fresh water springs support the processing facilities of the farm.