Santa Clara - Malawi Gesha ( Espresso Roasted )

COUNTRY: Guatemala

DEPARTMENT: Sacatepéquez

MUNICIPALITY: Antigua Guatemala

FARM SIZE: 90 Hectares

ELEVATION: 1,600-1,830m above sea level

VARIETY: Malawi Gesha

PROCESSING: Honey

FARM OWNER: Ricardo Zelaya

AWARDS: Cup of Excellence 2001, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022

This Malawi Gesha microlot comes from Santa Clara Estate, a farm owned and managed by Ricardo Zelaya. The influential Zelaya family has been growing coffee in Antigua for more than 100 years. This renowned family owns several farms locally, and over the last century they have worked tirelessly to uphold, refine, and elevate the reputation of coffee in Antigua, one of Guatemala’s most celebrated and loved producing regions.

Every cherry at Santa Clara is selectively hand-picked and sorted before being inspected and approved by the foreman at the wet mill. The farm also hires around fifty ‘special pickers’ who have demonstrated particular dexterity and are selected to hand-harvest some of the farm’s micro-lots using their impressive attention to detail. These employees can receive more than double the minimum daily wage by picking coffee at the farm. According to Ricardo, although they are very demanding about picking practices, the majority of the seasonal workers come back year after year, which is a testament to the fair conditions and pay they receive.

After being picked, the cherries were depulped without the use of water, to ensure as much mucilage as possible remains on the seed. Immediately after, the sticky wet parchment was transferred directly onto raised beds inside the estate’s drying greenhouse. Here, coffee was were turned every 30 minutes initially, and then as the beans dried out, this was increased to every 15 minutes to ensure uniform drying. 

Drying took between 25-40 days to reach the desired moisture level. The parchment was then milled at Ricardo’s dry mill which is located on the farm. The management of this meticulously run mill is overseen by a talented team who carefully monitor every stage of milling to ensure high-quality expectations are met. Throughout the process, Ricardo also ensures that all organic by-products are recycled and reused.

Suitable for Espresso Machine, Mokka Pot, Stove Top, French press, and Filter brewing methods

Recommended Espresso Machine,Mokka Pot,French press

**NOTE FOR DELIVERY** An order placing BEFORE 2 PM will arrange on next day delivery. An order AFTER 2 PM will deliver on the next following days.