Guatemala has always been a star within the Specialty Coffee community. There is a long tradition of estate coffee farming and quite a bit of technical expertise that helps explain the coffee quality. Many farms have their own wet mills and drying patios and can maintain excellent control over the coffee as it is being processed. It is also a country unique in Central America for its huge indigenous population (over 50% of the people are of Mayan descent) and diverse micro-regions that produce mouthwatering coffees with distinctly different profiles.

Acatenango is situated in a valley between two volcanoes- Fuego and Acatenango- on the other side of the Antigua valley. Until recently the region had never enjoyed the same sort of name recognition in the coffee world as its more famous neighbor Antigua (the gorgeous colonial city just outside of the capital). Not surprisingly much of the coffee farmed in Acatenango was actually transported to Antigua and re-labeled in an effort to obtain some of the price premiums associated with that region and to help satisfy international demand for coffees that could be sold as ‘genuine Antigua’. It was unfair and somewhat confusing— the coffees in Acatenango are outstanding and can often be even better than those that come from the other side of the volcano. Both regions share the advantage of rich volcanic soils, and one of the key differences can be found in the influence of the gusts of wind from the Pacific Ocean that make Acatenango slightly more humid and temperate. In October of 2006 Acatenango was finally given the recognition it deserves when it was inaugurated as the 8th official growing region in Guatemala as designated by Anacafe, the organization that oversees and administrates the Guatemalan coffee industry.

Within the newly anointed region there is a particular farm-La Soledad- that has garnered more international attention than any other and is regularly included on tours of the area because it functions as a model farm, a shining example of what this region is capable of. Everything is grown under shade, and the entire farm is rich with plant and animal life. The farm has been in the same family since 1895, and four generations of Perez offspring have maintained the tradition of growing coffee. It received its first award in 1962, when the gold prize for achievement in wet milling was given to Enio’s administration. More recently, they achieved back-to-back top 20 finishes in 2008 and 2009 in the prestigious Cup of Excellence competition.

La Soledad is one of my favorite farms not just in Guatemala but the world over, in large of because of the forward progress and investment the Perez family has been making over the years to advance quality and become a standard setter for social and environmental responsibility. Last year they had just completed the final stage on their very impressive water treatment system and have now started work on a cupping lab that will be built on the farm itself. They are currently working on some diversification with an innovative plan to produce avocado oil from the groves of delicious avocado trees on the farm. These guys are the definition of pro-active.

We sell this coffee under the banner Itzamna, alongside our other offerings from farms in Huehuetenango and Palancia. Itzamna is the creator-deity whose name can be rendered “god of nectar” and was the harbinger of culture, cacao, and maize to the Mayans in ancient lore. We chose the name Itzamna for this offering because we like what he stands for. He is a beloved deity from Mayan mythology, credited with creating many of the things that make life worth living. He introduced farming and science. And he was always known to be kind and protective towards humans, no mean streak whatsoever. In other words, he is the man. We can only suppose that he has a profound love for coffee as well.