Guatemala

Finca Concepcion Pixcaia was founded in 1926 in the Antigua region by Carlos Miron Armas and his wife Maria Munoz de Miron. The current owner, Manuel Zaghi Miron belongs to the 4th generation of these coffee producers.

On their 150 hectares of land at Finca Concepcion Pixcaia, the growth of coffee only takes 22 hectares located at an optimal altitude of 1900mt, while the lands located at lower altitudes are dedicated to the growth of macadamia nuts (51 hectares), and the remaining area is preserved as forest and natural reserve. The combination of a perfect climate and the right altitude make it the perfect area for the growth of coffee. This great location has allowed Finca Concepcion Pixcaya to win the Cup Of Excellence competitions four times over the past few years.

Most of the coffee plants of Finca Concepcion Pixcaya are of the Bourbon variety but the micro-lot we have selected for Caffelab comes from a small production of the exclusive Geisha variety.

All the work within the Finca is carried out with an eye to environmental sustainability. The company avoids the use of herbicides and produces its organic fertilizer from macadamia and corn processing waste.

All the water used for the coffee processing with the washed method is then reused left in tanks to filter the solid parts which are then used for composting. Another important aspect is water conservation. Finca Concepcion Pixcaia has five large tanks, essential for the collection of rainwater to be used during the harvesting period which occurs during the dry season of the region.

The Farm employs 40 people all year-round and another 40/60 pickers are then added during the harvest which is only done by hand. Processing also begins on the same day. 

First of all, foreign matter and under ripe cherries are selected and removed. The next step is the de-pulping phase which is carried out with the use of little water which is then reused during and at the end of the day. It is then delivered to a separate pond to avoid the contamination of clean water.

After 24/36 hours of fermentation in tanks, the coffee is completely washed in clean water and laid out to dry on patios in a time range which varies from 4 to 8 days, depending on the temperatures.

In the cup it shows complex fruity notes (peach, tropical fruit), flowers, green tea and vanilla, a delicate body and an elegant acidity that make this coffee a fantastic sensory experience.

When tasted according to the SCA protocol, this unique lot obtained a score of 88 points.