GUATEMALA | Henio Perez Geisha

Finca La Soledad was founded in 1895. Since then, earthquakes have shaken the walls of La Soledad's farmhouse, civil war between revolutionary and counter-revolutionary forces has raged in Guatemala's coffee fields, and countless eruptions of the Acatenango and Fuego volcanoes have covered Guatemala's fields in ash. But more than a century later, the Pérez family is still cultivating coffee in this quiet grove in the Acatenango Valley.

Since it was founded more than 125 years ago, some things have remained the same at La Soledad: the farm still has no electricity, and fifth-generation grower Raul Pérez still rises with the sun in the silence of the coffee fields. As the 21st century dawns, some of the varieties grown at La Soledad are the same ones planted at the end of the 19th century.

La Soledad is a thoroughly progressive and modern operation: meticulous agronomic practices, varietal diversity, rigorous post-harvest management, stringent quality control and a spirit of constant innovation have made La Soledad a world-class coffee farm, as evidenced by an astounding seven Guatemala Cup of Excellence awards.

At harvest, the beans are sorted 5-6 times to ensure maximum ripeness and better flavor in the cup. They are then dry fermented for approximately 36-45 hours, then dried on African beds for an average of 14-17 days. They are then aged in Grain Pro to maintain freshness and moisture until export.