Tzampetey, Atitlan, Guatemala

12 ounce - $16.75 Whole Bean Drip Grind Espresso Grind Moka Pot Press Pot Grind

Tasting Notes: black Assam tea, chocolate, dried fruit

Cooperativa San Miguel Tzampetey was established in 1989 with 32 small grower members. Since then, they have made major strides in the development of quality coffee as well as in organization and understanding of the market. They now own a small roaster for local consumption, which adds to income as well as knowledge of the product. The Guatemala National Coffee Association, Anacafe, is training four members to cup coffee and three others in field management.

The cooperative’s wet mill is perched about 1,000 feet above Lake Atitlán, which itself is 4,900 feet up and is one of the most spectacular lakes in the world, with dark blue waters surrounded by perfect volcanic cones on one side and a steep escarpment on the other. The members of Tzampetei are all Mayan, from the ethnic group Mam. A Mam hamlet borders their wet mill.

The harvest of 2012 was very difficult for the cooperative. Excessive rains have pounded Guatemala for the second year in a row and a fungus, called Rust, until then always present but contained and considered only a minor blight, destroyed much of the crop. Production was down 50%. Nevertheless we were impressed by the quality of their production and are excited to be working with them.

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