Guatemala Blue Ayarza

The region of Ayarza is a special one, landmarked by the drastic landscape and cold blue water from the Laguna de Ayarza and Laguna Azul. The lake was formed by two massive volcanos that collapsed and formed a large crater. The legends surrounding this lake are numerous like the one that says the bottom has never been found.

Covoya Guatemala always knew the region had massive potential to produce specialty coffee, but the cups that we found were usually solid but unsurprising. Four years ago we rented a wet mill at 1,500 meters on a RFA certified farm. The quality coming from our washed coffee was much better than we expected. Next we tried the honey and maceration processes.

For natural-processed coffees under the Blue Ayarza mark, the best cherries from small holders in the region deliver to our mill, often in their own pickup trucks. The cherries are sorted again to choose the best of the best, they are then sealed in ecotact bags for 2-3 days of anaerobic fermentation. The cherries are then dried on patios, with mechanical drying used to finish if needed.

Our head roaster, Brandon, visited this mill while in Guatemala last year. While there, he toured the year-round clinic the mill houses for farmers and their families. He also saw the many ways the mill seeks to be a good environmental steward which include using bio-fuel for mechanical dryers, water management systems, and cherry composting.