Christian Starry

Christian Starry’s farm – Lirios de Belén, is located on Lake Amatitlan. The freshwater lake is the fourth largest lake in Guatemala, located 16 km to the south of the capital Guatemala City at an altitude of 1,188 m and covers a surface of 15.2 sq. km. Lake Amatitlán with its surrounding valleys, mountains, and volcanoes has a unique landscape, which is used by many people as a recreation area. The farm sits, with beautiful views, overlooking the lake between 1480-1580masl. The total coffee growing area is 40 ha.

At the end of the 1950s, the owner of the hacienda, Margarita Samayoa (daughter of Doroteo), converted the hacienda into one of the largest coffee plantations in Guatemala, she then decided to leave the farm as an inheritance to her nephews and nieces. One of them was Carmen, who then left it to Christian who founded Lirios de Belén! Today, the farm is managed by Christian the father and Christian the son, who built a wet and dry mill, so they can control the quality of their coffees from plant to port. Christian Junior embarked on the family adventure in 2013 and manages the washing station built on the farm that same year. They established new fermentation protocols to improve the quality of their coffee and the coffee of neighboring producers. They use traditional farming methods, and the total annual production is 600 (69kg) bags.

Bourbon is one of the most culturally and genetically important arabica varieties in the world, known for excellent quality in the cup at high altitudes. It is a tall variety characterized by relatively low production, susceptibility to major diseases, and excellent cup quality. French missionaries introduced Bourbon from Yemen to Bourbon Island (now La Réunion)—giving it the name it has today—in the early 1700s. Until the mid-19th century, Bourbon did not leave the island. But beginning in the mid-1800s, the variety spread to new parts of the world as the missionaries moved to establish footholds in Africa and the Americas. The Bourbon variety was introduced to Brazil around 1860, and from there rapidly spread north into other parts of South and Central America, where it is still cultivated today. Here it became mixed with other Bourbon-related varieties, introduced from India as well as Ethiopian landraces. Nowadays, there are many Bourbon-like varieties found in East Africa, but none exactly match the distinct Bourbon variety that can be found in Latin America. Today in Latin America, Bourbon itself has largely been replaced by varieties that descend from it (notably including Caturra, Catuai, and Mundo Novo), although Bourbon itself is still cultivated in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Peru.

This lot is a mixture of both yellow and red bourbon, which was picked at peak ripeness and fermented in cherry for 12-36 hours before being dried on patios for 7 days as a natural, after this initial 7-day period the coffee then gets moved to raised beds where it continues to dry for another 14 days.

The result is a coffee that is full-bodied, fruit-forward, and complex while being balanced with a deep sweetness.

Farm details:

Producer: Christian Starry

Region:    Amatitlán

Country:         Guatemala

Altitude:        1580m

Process:         Natural

Varietal:         Red & Yellow Bourbon

Flavor profile:

Taste: Black cherry, concord grape, orange, strawberry, caramel, dark chocolate

Acidity: Medium/round

Sweetness: Medium/balanced

Body: Heavy/Syrupy