Taste Of The Week

Taste of the Week
Finca Puerta Verde Coffee (Guatemala)
Roasted in Cork by Golden Bean

Shanagarry based Golden Bean, well known at Farmers Markets and in the region's leading coffee shops, is an artisan coffee roastery that buys, roasts, supplies and makes coffee with single origin beans from around the world. This one, all the details below, is from the Antigua Valley in Guatemala and is a beauty. Indeed, I've never had anything less from Mark and his team. It is a lovely introduction to the day and our Taste of the Week. Check out their stall at Mahon Farmers Market tomorrow (Thursday) morning. They may still have some or, if not, another coffee of outstanding quality.

Finca Puerta Verde

The Alvarez family has been producing coffee at Finca Puerta Verde since the end of the 19th century. Their 41 hectare farm is located in Ciudad Vieja, Sacatapéquez, in the Panchoy valley. Puerta Verde is now owned and managed by the fourth generation of the family, who are committed to both quality and environmental sustainability.

The farm benefits from a rich volcanic soil and an average altitude of 1,540 metres. The coffee is grown under a protective shade canopy of Gravilea trees, which provide a great habitat for several local bird and insect species.

The cherries are picked by hand, before being pulped and sun dried at a local wet mill. Waste water from the process is recycled to avoid polluting local water courses. The coffee is then rested and milled prior to export. 

Puerta Verde is nestled in a magical valley where, they claim, the best coffee in the world is produced. This is refected in the farm's name, which comes from 'Puerta Verde, La Puerta al mejor café de Antigua', and translates to 'Green Door, the gate to the best coffee in Antigua'.

Farm: Finca Puerta Verde

Location: Ciudad Vieja, Sacatepéquez, Antigua Valley, Guatemala.
Varietal: Mixed Bourbon and Caturra

Altitude: 1540 metres above sea level

Processing: Fully washed and sun dried on concrete patios. The coffee is picked by hand when it is fully ripe, pulped on the same day, moved to the local wet mill, where it dries on patios in the sun until it reaches the optimum humidity level.

Cupping notes: This is not your typical Guatemalan. At first it greets you with a rich dark chocolate and caramel favour that is swiftly followed by a unique and gushing grape like acidity and rich fruitiness, which predominates in the cup. This is a zingy coffee that, as it cools, maintains its dark chocolate, a subtle sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel.