Story

This coffee comes from the Panibaj community, where ten small producers collaborate to grow and process their harvest. For years, their coffee was sold as whole cherry, but getting it to distant mills was difficult, time intensive, and expensive, limiting both quality control and earnings.

Looking for a better way, Walfred Baltazar, one of the producers, connected with Adolfo Hernández, a coffee producer from Antigua who works closely with smallholder farmers. Adolfo understood the challenge firsthand, having faced similar obstacles earlier in his career. Together, they created a solution by establishing a small wet mill within the community.

With Adolfo’s guidance, the group invested in a depulping machine and built a wooden washing channel. The area’s abundant spring water made local processing possible, allowing producers to pulp, ferment, and wash their coffee close to home. This reduced transportation challenges and helped them retain more value from their work. The system served the community well for several years.

The coffee is a blend of Catuai and Bourbon varieties, hand harvested at peak ripeness. After picking, the cherries are depulped and fermented for 48 hours in plastic tanks, then washed and dried in direct sunlight for about 12 days.

This year, Walfred and Adolfo reconnected to explore exporting the coffee. It marks an important step for the producers, giving them the opportunity to share their work with a global audience and deepen the connection between their community and the people who enjoy their coffee.