Finca Peña Blanca & Café de Las Minas

Welcome to our origin!
Our production farm is named Finca Peña Blanca, and our roasted coffee is presented as Café de Las Minas. We guarantee that 100% of our roasted coffee is grown by us; in the event that we showcase a lot from an allied producer, we will communicate it transparently under a clear label.

The Origin: Sierra de las Minas

We are located in the majestic Sierra de las Minas, the largest cloud forest in Central America. This is a protected reserve where we care for our environment through three ecological zones:

Core Zone (Zona Núcleo): The heart of the primary forest and the biosphere of the reserve.

Buffer Zone (Zona de Amortiguamiento): The area where the private reserve we protect is located, characterized by first-rate virgin forest.

Multiple-Use Zone (Zona de Usos Múltiples): Home to our farm and coffee plantations. Here, we coexist with nature by safeguarding water sources, creating biological corridors, and promoting natural reforestation.

The Journey and the Microclimate

Our farm is located in San Agustín Acasaguastlán, El Progreso. The journey toward the village of El Carmen is a spectacle of nature: we begin in a thorny dry forest that exceeds 40°C and, as we ascend, the landscape transforms into pine, oak, and sweetgum (liquidámbar) forests, reaching temperate temperatures by day and very cold conditions at night.

This drastic microclimate shift, combined with rich soils and abundant water, is the secret behind the unique sweetness and flavor of our coffee. In the mountains, dewy nights and misty mornings create the perfect environment to produce an exceptional coffee.

Quality over Quantity: Specialty Coffee

The rugged geography of the Sierra de las Minas forces us to work the land 100% manually. Since we cannot mechanize our agriculture, we decided to focus entirely on quality over quantity.

We want every cup to share the biodiversity of this ecosystem, which is home to the Resplendent Quetzal and one of the oldest forests in Guatemala.

Our Terroir

Terroir is the identity that soil and climate bestow upon a crop. In every cup of Café de Las Minas, you will perceive a complex acidity, deep sweetness, and aromatic notes that transport the palate directly to our mountain.

Our Varieties

We preserve the coffee-growing tradition of the region by naturally dividing our fields according to their varieties:

Pache (Pache Cubano): The historical variety of the area, introduced generations ago by migrants from Palencia.

Maragogype: A classic, giant-bean variety, highly prized for its subtle, sweet, and silky cup.

Pacamara and Gesha: High-specialty varieties currently in development fields.

The Value of the Classic:

Climate change and pests make Pache and Maragogype difficult to cultivate, yielding lower outputs than modern hybrids. However, we take on the challenge of protecting them in specific plots to prevent their disappearance and maintain a superior cup quality.

The Process: Patience and Precision

1. Cultivation and Selective Harvesting (February – May)
Due to the altitude, the coffee cycle on our farm is long, producing denser and more complex beans. We carry out a late, staggered harvest, visiting the fields multiple times to pick exclusively the cherries at their optimal stage of ripeness.

2. Artisanal Processing
Selection and Flotation: We sort the cherries by hand and perform a water flotation process to discard low-density beans.

Fermentation and Washing: The coffee rests overnight in sacks for a pre-fermentation, is mechanically depulped, and spends another night submerged in water to homogenize its moisture. A final washing channel selects the densest beans.

3. Slow Mountain Drying
Drying is meticulously carried out in a solar dryer. First, surface moisture is reduced using direct fans, and then the coffee rests for 3 to 4 weeks. This slow drying stabilizes the bean, extends its shelf life, and gives it a vibrant color, similar to jade stone.

4. Sorting and Export
Following a resting period in the warehouse and rigorous cupping sessions, the lot is transferred to the dry mill in Guatemala City. Here, it is sorted under SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) standards using electronic and vibratory technology.

Finally, the coffee is ready to be roasted at our facilities or exported as green coffee (oro) to our international clients.