Guatemala San Marcos Finca Las Lomas
The San Marcos region may not have the name recognition of its neighboring regions, but I'd put this cup against a Huehuetenango any day! This bold, rich and velvety beauty comes to us from the Aguirre family at Finca Las Lomas and it's got "daily driver" written all over it. In our cups, we got warm sweet notes of butterscotch, caramel and dark chocolate with just a touch of mild lemon.
San Marcos is one of those coffee producing regions that has all the right ingredients for growing rock solid coffee, but somehow missed out on the name recognition that its neighboring regions enjoy. And with neighbors like Huehuetenango to the north and Antigua to the east, it can be pretty hard to stand out from the crowd. But our friends at De La Finca coffee have been working with German and Jose Aguirre at Finca Las Lomas since 2017 and they’re on a mission to bring San Marcos the recognition it deserves!
San Marcos is directly south of Huehuetenango, so it’s no surprise to me that this coffee bears a strong resemblance when it comes to the cup. In our testing we got a big, rich body along with a velvety texture that borders on syrupy depending on your roast. The acidity is gentle with a note of mild lemon that lingers in the background rather than pushing to the front. The star of the show is butterscotch and caramel which lends warm sweetness when combined with an undertone of dark chocolate. Finally, there’s just a touch of bold kick to the cup that gives it a pleasant, lingering finish. You know, smooth but not too smooth! For me, this coffee has “daily driver” written all over it. It also works wonderfully in blends to add body and warm sweetness!
Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: March 22nd, 2024; US Arrival: 2023, Packed in GrainPro
Acidity & Brightness: Gently bright and slightly sweet
Balance & Finish: Slightly complex with a warm, lingering finish.
Body & Texture: Rich body and velvety texture
Flavors: Butterscotch, lemon, dark chocolate & caramel
Grade: SHB, grown at 1800masl
Processing: Fully washed and patio-dried
Grower: German & Jose Aguirre | Finca Las Lomas
Region: San Marcos Department, Guatemala
Varieties: Bourbon & Caturra
Recommended Roast Range: City+ to Full City+ (light-medium to medium-dark)
Most folks will enjoy this coffee best right at Full Medium or just after 1st crack has ended but before 2nd crack begins. This presents a balanced cup with excellent body and plenty of sweetness. Lighter roasts will pull our more brightness and citrusy acidity along with a touch of florality. Roasts pushed into 2nd crack will offer a bit more velvety body at the expense of some of the softer flavor notes.
De La Finca Coffee - "German and Jose have about 60 acres of shade grown coffee at high elevation. Their area suffered a lot in recent years with the prices of coffee and many issues finding workers, many of whom emigrated to US. This is an important reason why direct trade partnerships are so important for small producers like the German and Jose.”
