Finca Pulcal

This unique coffee is from the historic region of Antigua in Guatemala, the rich Central American coffee-producing powerhouse. In the year 1541, Don Juan de Carmona ventured to Guatemala with Don Pedro de Alvarado, the Spanish conqueror. The area of land was slowly developed over many centuries, and in the 1800s, the Zelaya family was able to acquire the fertile soils in order to plant Arabica coffee, naming it Hacienda Carmona. The dedication on this land was revealed in 1918, when coffee was first exported from Guatemala from this exact farm. Today, the plantation is thriving and has grown in size, climbing high into the volcanic geology of the area.

Maria Zelaya, the third generation of Zelayas, managed Hacienda Carmona from 1959 until she turned 81. She used the same love and passion her father and grandfather used in the previous decades to create a truly magnificent coffee plantation. Maria passed Hacienda Carmona down to her nephews, Ricardo Zelaya, and Luis Pedro Zelaya who now manage the plantation harnessing the same dedication she exuded onto the coffee trees. This specific lot is named Pulcal.

Thanks to the high elevations and unique microclimates, Hacineda Carmona has the ability to produce exceptional quality coffees ranging from the original varietals of Red and Yellow Bourbon and Typica, whilst also experimenting with new varietals.

This coffee is comprised of Red and Yellow Bourbon and is processed using the clean mountain spring water from the rich Antigua Valley. As soon as the coffee is picked, it is sorted by hand, and floated in a water silo to remove any floaters, or lower quality cherries. The cherries are then pulped at the Santa Clara wet mill, another Zelaya family enterprise, which is conducted via machine. The freshly washed beans are fermented for 12-14 hours to breakdown the exterior mucilage. Once complete, canals filled with water help clean the beans and remove any remaining mucilage or foreign matter before they are evenly dispersed on cement patios to dry. The beans remain here for 12-25 days, or until the ideal moisture content is reached. They are then hulled and prepared for export.

The Zelaya family has been growing coffee in Guatemala for many generations and have helped improve the surrounding communities. They were the first farm in Antigua to open a school for workers’ children, which is managed and supported by the Antigua Producers Coffee Association. Additionally, the farm aims to be environmentally friendly by reusing water without harming the surrounding ecosystems and using the coffee

pulp as compost for the soil of the farm. With extensive nurseries, Hacienda Carmona is working to create a future for coffee in the Antigua Valley of Guatemala and providing jobs for locals to help give back to the local community.