Coffee Of The Week
Guatemala Finca San José Ocaña
One of my Christmas gifts this year was a few days away in Calistoga, at a lovely resort with multiple mineral pools. Our reservations were this week, and Trace and I had a completely tranquil getaway, just the two of us. The Napa Valley was empty–we felt like we were the only vacationers there. It was relaxing, with delicious food and good wine, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time. A highlight was discovering that a friend’s son was our sommelier–it felt serendipitous.
The rain made for moody scenery on our drive, and during our time there. The sun painted the clouds at sunrise and sunset, in shades of pink and red. On our way across the valley on Wednesday, we came around a corner to find hundreds of paper whites blooming, bobbing their heads in dappled sunshine. It was such a hopeful sign that spring is coming, and I captured it in my memory to draw upon when winter days seem to drag.
We have a beautiful coffee for you this week, one that we haven’t had in a couple of years. This is our Single-Estate Guatemala Finca San José Ocaña, from the San Juan Sacatepéquez region of Guatemala, high in the central Guatemalan mountains. The finca has been owned by the Sanchez family since 1905, and they have grown coffee for over one hundred years. They have 150 acres planted to coffee, and another 260 acres that they have preserved as natural forest. They have their own mill on the property, and the coffee is fermented underwater for 12-24 hours, washed with clean spring water, soaked for another 12-24 hours, and dried on patios. They are able to take meticulous care of the coffee from start to export.
We have roasted this light, and in the cup it has a clean taste with notes of chocolate, pecan, and light stone fruit. It’s a delicious option, and I’ll be taking some home to drink this week. Enjoy your weekend, and I hope you all have a chance for some winter relaxation, however that looks for you. Cheers!
–Holly Fike
Coffee Coupon
