Cupping Notes
This lot from Tomas Perdido is a distinctly quintessential Guatemalan coffee. When smelling the grounds, it just smells like Guatemala chocolate and nuts and maybe some floral notes. At first taste, the flavor is more of cocoa in its raw form, like a 70% dark chocolate bar. However, the middle part of the flavor is delightfully sweet as well which gives off the impression of caramel. When I swished this coffee around for a bit in my mouth (many times), I knew that there was the essence of almond extract in the cup that was somewhat syrupy. This is not a wild coffee, but an everyday drinker and sure to be one that still impresses those who don't buy "fancy" coffee.
Guatemala Tomas Perdido
Roast: Medium
Region: Guatemala
Farm: Finca Santo Tomas Perdido
Process: Washed
Elevation: 1,250-1,700m
Variety: Bourbon
Cup: Raw Dark Chocolate, Caramel, Almond
Farming Notes
The relationship with Carlos Torrebiarte started in College Station, Texas, when Arrott was running Dirt Pour coffee (RIP Dirt Pour). Arrott released it as First Love, roasted on his Behmor in his dad’s basement. When Arrott sent me his samples of First Love, I knew there was potential for the coffee at Peregrine, even though he had sent me a Viennese roast. While we had previously sourced most of our Guatemalan coffees through Santa Felisa and Jose Padilla, we wanted to continue what Arrott had built so we have decided to bring this organic Guatemala coffee on board.
Sololá, Guatemala is an area within the region known as Atitlan, where it sits atop the enormous lake Atitlan. Tomas Perdido has been running the farm since 1996 utilizing renewable energy sources and also produces honey. This farm is classified as a private natural reserve, with the responsibility of stewarding rivers, forests, biodiversity, and community welfare. One of the most notable things that Perdido and his family have done is to begin a program called One by One, which boosts social and economic development in the neighboring communities through productivity, efficiency, and partnership. Overall this is a well-organized family-run operation that we are happy to continue our relationship with.