Ep. 794 Guatemala San Patricio El Limon Black Honey x Natural


Sultana, brown sugar, orange zest

A desire to experiment is one of the big reasons that we love buying from San Patricio El Limon; we've been getting coffee from them since first introduced seven years ago by our mutual friend Raul Rodas (2012 World Barista Champion), and they're just getting more and more awesome each year.

When farms are processing a coffee, they use a depulping machine that removes the cherry and most of the mucilage. There is a setting on this machine that adjusts how close to the bean it cleans, and therefore how much of the fruit is left behind. The farms Raul works with in Guatemala have, when doing honey processing, typically used a middle setting (Red Honey). However, Raul wanted to try a Black Honey.

In Costa Rica, where those coffees are most often produced, this would mean leaving all the mucilage and just taking off the fruit skin. However, when Black Honey's produced in Guatemala, the farmers open the depulper very wide.

Some of the cherries have had the skin removed whilst a few have been left intact. This means it's kind of a hybrid Black Honey x Natural Process. These were then left on patios for thirteen days, which is about the same amount of time that they use to dry their washed coffees.

This coffee has juicy sultanas, dusted with brown sugar and a grate of orange zest. A delicate edge of treacle on the aftertaste balances the cup nicely.

  • Country: Guatemala
  • Region: Palencia
  • Farm: San Patricio El Limon
  • Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto 'Beto' Reyes Aguilar
  • Altitude: 1,350-1,850 m.a.s.l.
  • Farm size: 9 hectares
  • Varietal: Bourbon, Caturra, Catimor
  • Processing method: Black Honey x Natural

Tasting notes: Sultana, brown sugar, orange zest.

  • Clean cup: (1–8): 6
  • Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5
  • Acidity: (1–8): 6
  • Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5
  • Flavour: (1–8): 6
  • Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5
  • Balance: (1–8): 6.5
  • Overall: (1–8): 6
  • Correction: (+36): +36
  • Total: (max. 100): 86

Roast Information
Medium-dark - Let this slow a little after first crack, but make sure you're at the end of the gap before you finish the roast.