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Huehuetenango has the best coffees in Guatemala. Period. The problem with Huehue is that farmers have had no price incentive to produce high quality coffee. This takes knowledge, passion, effort and grit and without a partner on the other side, most producers do not want to invest the effort to produce better coffee - and I totally get that. Thankfully, forward thinking producers like Urisar de Leon are starting to lead the way for the region and serve as an example for many of the other producers.
Urisar de Leon is a third-generation coffee producer from Huehuetenango. Urisar’s grandfather purchased Finca el Paraiso back in 1965. At that time, the family was more focused on livestock, corn, and tobacco, but over time coffee slowly became their number one harvest.
In 2000, he passed the land down to his children, and it was then that Urisar, his grandson, took charge of his mother's piece of the land. He had just graduated as an agronomist when he officially became a third-generation coffee grower.
It’s hard to believe that Urisar has been processing his own coffee for only five years. Prior to that, he sold the coffee - both in cherry and parchment form - to intermediaries in the town of Huehuetenango.
Urisar is a progressive coffee farmer; he’s not afraid to experiment with new varieties and processing methods. He has planted Geisha, SL-28, Pacamara, and is experimenting with many other exotic varieties.
The farm is in a subregion called La Libertad, which is near and dear to my heart. My very first trip to Huehuetenango in 2010 was in La Libertad - Phil and I visited the famous El Injerto farm and fell in love with that area. It’s lush, undulous and home to some of Guatemala’s best coffees.
This coffee is a blend of Bourbon and Caturra varieties, grown between 1700 and 1800m. The coffee is fully washed and dried on raised beds. I haven’t had a chance to meet Urisar, but I can’t wait to visit this coming harvest. I was super impressed with the character of the coffee, and the cleanliness of the cup. It definitely stood out in all the cuppings.
- Sebastian
