Our Coffee

The Culpan coffee field grows between 1,371 and 1,524 metres above sea level, on the foothills of the Santiaguito volcano. This altitude, with cool nights and bright days, lets the bean ripen slowly and concentrate sweetness and aroma, the typical profile of Guatemalan high-altitude Arabica coffee.

We grow high-altitude Arabica coffee, with the classic varieties that give Guatemala its unique cup profile, such as Bourbon, Caturra and Catuai. All plants grow under the shade of protected forest, in volcanic soil enriched by the ash of the Santiaguito volcano.

We use a wet and dry mill, built in the 1940s and updated to be ecological. The freshly picked cherry goes through depulping, fermentation and washing, and the parchment is then sun-dried on patios. This preserves the sweetness and clean profile of the high-altitude bean.

Culpan exports green coffee exclusively, in parchment and as gold bean; no coffee is roasted on the farm. Every lot leaves ready for the destination roaster to express the profile best suited to its market, while keeping single-origin traceability from the Santiaguito volcano.

Ash from the Santiaguito volcano falls continuously over the plantation and, over time, has formed a layer of pumice that keeps the soil alive, fertile and well-drained. That soil provides minerals and retains moisture, two key conditions for a high-altitude Arabica coffee with body and sweetness.

Coffee covers 35% of Culpan's land and is the main crop on the farm. The rest is shared between macadamia (32%), protected forest (27%) and corn and beans (6%), a balance that protects the microclimate and the biodiversity of the slopes of the Santiaguito.