Tasting Notes:
Milk Chocolate
Candied Orange
Black Tea
Farm and Producer:
Finca La Colina, Antonio Medina
Region:
Chimaltenango
Processing:
Washed
Variety:
Bourbon and Caturra
Altitude:
1700m

Description
This is our fourth year purchasing Antonio’s coffee, sourced by the wonderful folks at Shared Source. Antonio’s farm is located in Northern Chimaltenango, nestled in the mountains near the town of San Martin Jilotepeque. La Colina (Spanish for “the hill”) has been in the Medina family for 3 generations, but Antonio is the first to begin growing coffee on the property. He cultivates Bourbon and Caturra, and processing takes place on the property and follows a traditional washed process – cherries are fermented for 36 hours in concrete tanks before being washed in long, narrow channels fed by spring water. The seeds are then dried on concrete patios for 12 days.

From the varieties to the process, Antonio’s coffee is an ode to tradition. Bourbon and Caturra are classic varieties known for rich sweetness and articulate acidities. They’re not the wildest, most exotic cherries on the cupping table, but they consistently deliver the depth, richness, and structure that we love most in Central American coffees. The cool climate up at 1700m on Antonio’s farm allows these coffees to develop slowly, producing dense, complex seeds. Finally, the clean, meticulous processing lets a crisp, elegant expression of this coffee shine through. Overall, we find a rich, comforting undertone that reminds us of creamy milk chocolate, matched by a clean, sweet acidity like dried apricot, or orange marmalade. The finish leads into a buttery sweetness of caramel.

Shared Source has been buying from Antonio for many years now. Their buying model is centered on forming long-lasting relationships and bringing in the same coffees year after year, aiming to grow with their partners instead of constantly revolving through different coffees.