Located near the town of San Cristóbal Verapaz, in the cool, rainy reaches of Cobán, Guatemala, Finca San Lorenzo nestles in the verdant hills at around 1,500 metres above sea level. San Lorenzo is the Valdés family’s second farm, purchased in 1987.

 When Lorenzo was first bought, there was only one small plot of land under coffee. Today, the family have developed 20 different lots under coffee, covering 110 hectares of the farm. 

Varietals: Caturra, Catuaí & Sarchimor (50%) 
Processing: Fully washed & sun-dried or dried in guardiolas 
Altitude: 1,550m

After harvesting, the red cherries are taken to the wet mill at Santa Isabel, which lies very close by. They are then mechanically pulped. Coffee is fermented for up to 36 hours and is covered at night to maintain constant temperatures. After fermentation, the coffee is washed and then soaked in clean water for 24 hours to remove any traces of mucilage before being dried. It is important to note that Santa Isabel and San Lorenzo lots are processed completely separately and great care is taken to preserve the integrity of each lot of coffee from the two farms. 

Most of the coffee is dried for at least one day on the patios. Usually, after spending one day on the patio, the coffee is stored overnight in wooden boxes before being moved to the greenhouses to dry between 15 and 30 days, or until a minimum of 30% humidity is reached.