Long-time fans of our Guatemala Antigua Finca El Valle should be proud to learn that El Valle earned another award in the August edition of Coffee Review. This year our favorite Guatemalan coffee scored 90 points from Ken Davids and his evaluation team.
Sweet-toned orange and lemon aroma, with soft hints of nuts, cherry and caramel. A bright acidity is softened and rounded by a suggestion of fruit. The balance continues in the cup with sweet lemon and honey in front, fading to a pleasant nuttiness. Hints of chocolate and aromatic wood linger in the long finish. -Coffee ReviewRead the entire review here. Guatemala Antigua Finca El Valle is the perfect example of a Relationship Coffee. We have been buying coffee from Cristina Gonzales and her single estate Finca El Valle since 1995. Each year we meet with Cristina at her home to discuss crop productivity and quality, review her costs of production and come to an agreement on the pricing. Though Cristina's farm is not Fair Trade certified (only farms that are part of a cooperative can obtain Fair Trade certification at this time), Batdorf & Bronson® Coffee Roasters has always paid higher than Fair Trade prices for this astonishing coffee. On these visits we hear from the family about the health of the trees and soil and learn about the annual improvements for the farm's harvesters and their families. We are continually impressed with the Gonzalez family's commitment to sustainable farming practices such as the use of recycled water through the milling process, composting and sun-drying all their coffees. Each year we find that we are delighted with the coffee from Finca El Valle and think you will be too. Try the Guatemala Antigua Finca El Valle today!