Episode 524: Guatemala El Libano Washed

El Libano is located in the traditional Guatemalan coffee region of Chimaltenango and is 21 hectares in size with 17.5 of them set aside for coffee production. Its owner is Herbert Estuardo Perez Liquidano, a third generation coffee producer on this farm.

Originally this farm was called La Pampa and was purchased by Mr Prudencio Perez Rosales in 1915. When he unfortunately passed away his daughters inherited the farm and divided it equally into three properties called La Pampa, San Juan and El Libano.  Herbert purchased El Libano in 1992.

In the early days of El Libano (or La Pampa I guess I should say) coffee was commercialized in cherry form with other farms and/or buyers who took it to local wet mills for the post harvest process. When coffee production at the farm increased, between 1958 and 1960, a wet mill was built on a lower part of the farm and drying fields were built in the higher parts. At that time, coffee was taken by workers on mules from the pulping area to the drying fields, down a narrow road, which as I'm sure you can imagine made work rather difficult. Later, in 1970, this was extended and thanks to increasing coffee sales they were able to buy a vehicle to let the mules get some rest.

Since then as I'm sure you guessed there have been many changes to the farm...they improved the quality of what they could produce via modernisation of the wet mill, the pulping area and in the drying process. In the drying area, they have increased the drying patios and added a guardiola dryer, which has the capacity of processing 40 quintales (4 kilos) of coffee. Besides producing delicious coffee El Libano also plays a really important role for the local people, the worked of the farm have been provided with equipped houses to live on the farm with their families and they've also built not just 1 but 2 modern swimming pools for workers and their families!

The farm sits at 1,350 metres above sea level and grows a mixture of Typica, Bourbon, Catuaí, Caturra and Geisha, this lot is a mixture of Caturra, Typica and Bourbon.

In the cup it's milk chocolate with a silky mouthfeel. There's a hint of hazelnut and shoulder of pear, but it's the chocolate that lasts and shifts into a dark chocolate on the finish as it cools. 

• Country: Guatemala
• Department: Chimaltenango
• Municipality: Acatenango
• Nearest Village: La Pampa
• Farm Name: El Libano
• Farmer: Herbert Estuardo Pérez Liquidano
• Altitude: 1,350 m.a.s.l.
• Processing method: Washed
• Drying: Sun dried
• Farm Size: 21 Hectares
• Coffee growing area: 17.5 Hectares
• Varietal: Caturra, Typica & Bourbon

CUPPING NOTES Milk chocolate, hazelnut, pear, silky.

Clean Cup: (1-8): 6
Sweetness: (1-8): 6.5
Acidity: (1-8): 6
Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6.5
Flavour: (1-8): 6.5
Aftertaste: (1-8): 6
Balance: (1-8): 7
Overall: (1-8): 6.5
Correction: (+36): +36

Total: (max 100): 87

Roasting Information
Medium dark - go nice and steady: through first, develop it well and drop just as you get to the first pops of second.

"Quick Look" Guide
Milk chocolate, hazelnut, pear, silky.