Los Andes Natural

Located in the heart of the Los Andes Nature Reserve in Guatemala, the Hazard Family has been producing coffee, along with various other crops, at Finca Los Andes since 1945. The land was originally purchased and transformed into a coffee and sugarcane plantation by William Nelson in the late 1800s. The property would be built up and change hands a few times until 1985 when coffee farmers Jim and Olga Hazard would purchase the farm. Coincidentally, Jim’s father, Cecil, had worked at Los Andes decades prior. Since acquiring it, the Hazard’s have put time and care into improving the land. Some of these improvements included building a wet mill, adding patios for drying along with mechanical driers, as well as replanting the coffee trees and expanding their overall cultivation.

Los Andes is home to far more than just coffee. Since 2001, they have been declared a private nature reserve. About 60% of the land is natural woods. While coffee does make up a significant portion of what they produce, Los Andes also takes pride in cultivating tea, cinchona, rubber, macadamia, and avocado. There are also 48 families that live and work on the reserve fulltime and have access to a school, clinic, and a credit and savings association. Part of being a nature reserve, Los Andes is also maintains a program to promote biodiversity and care for native species such as El Quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala.

Originally found in Boquete, Panama, the Gesha variety is known for its high cup quality, intense florals, pronounced acidity, and tea-like qualities. The Gesha variety is starting to become more common around the world. However, we don’t see too many high-quality Geshas’ like this from Guatemala and because of this that we are excited to be able to offer it in our lineup. In our tasting, we found this to be a fairly classic natural Gesha taste profile. Our team was able to taste the vibrant acidity of a ripe plum along with a backing of rich sweetness reminiscent of honey. These tastes were complimented by delicate florals and flower blossoms that we have come to love and appreciate in the Gesha variety.

Farm details:

Farmer: The Hazard Family

Farm: Terra Negra

Region: Atitlán

Country: Guatemala

Altitude: 1400m

Process: Natural

Varietal: Gesha

Flavor profile:

Taste: Plum, Floral Honey, Vanilla Blossom, White Sugar/Sugarcane, Peach Jam, Sweet Cream

Acidity: Medium/Crisp

Sweetness: High/Rich

Body: High/Velvety