La Conserva – Espresso from Guatemala

La Conserva – Coffee Info

How we prepare the coffee

The very even bean appearance makes it easy to find the right grind size. The grinder is adjusted pretty quickly. However, the coffee then requires precise work to showcase its delicate characteristics optimally. Be sure to let the espresso cool down a bit!

For the standard 9-bar recipe with a vibration pump, we found the best shot at a rather longer drink ratio of 1:2.4 for Michel and Nadja. In particular, Michel usually prefers to brew with shorter drink ratios, but this coffee benefits from the longer one. This allows the elegant flavours to show themselves much better and spread out. We find new aromas with almost every sip. When hot, lots of mandarin and an almost sparkling acidity. As it cools down, notes of light stone fruits, mango and tonic emerge, and even something slightly spicy like cardamom. The body has medium intensity and is very smooth. With a rotary pump, we extend the shot by two to three seconds. Maro Code: ALHBRXM

With the pressure profile, we produced an incredibly balanced espresso. Limit the flow at the beginning to 3 bar, so that after 10–11 seconds the puck is completely saturated and the first drops come out. Then up to 9 bar for the next approx. 13 seconds. 20 in, 41 out at 26 seconds (1:2.1). The cup is extremely harmonious – too boring for Nadja, because she really likes the slightly sparkling, elegant and quiet acidity that this coffee brings, and it's completely integrated in this shot. We also tried other drink ratios, but none of them really convinced us. For harmony lovers: Maro Code ICYVDRS.

Why does the coffee taste the way it does?

The coffee is grown at altitudes of almost 2,000 m above sea level, which ensures slow ripening of the cherries. The 15 farmers who contribute their coffee to this community blend have grown traditional varieties: 40% Bourbon, 25% Caturra, 20% Catuaí, 10% Pache and 5% Catimor.

The ripe cherries are pulped after harvest and fermented for 12–24 hours depending on the weather. The coffee is then washed processed. The result is a coffee with a very clear structure, an extremely balanced balance of acidity-sweetness-bitterness and elegant, citric-tropical sweet fruit notes.

Why did we buy this coffee?

A coffee from Guatemala for our orange, seasonal espresso line has been on our list for some time. Through our partner Caravela Coffee, we have now found this coffee from the highlands of Guatemala. We support a community of four villages, from which 15 producers contribute their coffee. With the help of Caravela Coffee, they have learned a lot about processing coffee and its impact on quality.

Guatemala has long been on the world map of specialty coffees and is known for clear coffees with plenty of well-structured acidity, citric and bright, sweet flavours like honey and caramel. Classically, the coffee is washed processed, although of course many producers here are also experimenting with extended fermentation methods and can thus reposition themselves. Climate change has also taken hold here.

Shipping also possible via coffee letter

All our coffees can be ordered in the form of a coffee letter. It is treated like a regular letter and lands in your mailbox. This reduces the postage for 250g of coffee from 7 to 2.5 francs. At checkout, you can choose between the options coffee letter, A-Post and B-Post.