GUA-003 - Guatemala Finca San Jose Ocana

The Farm:

San José Ocaña is located in San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. It has a total of 175 hectares, 85 hectares for coffee and the rest for forestry and conservation. The altitude ranges from 1800 to 1955 meters above sea level. Its average rainfall is 1250 millimeters a year. For shade we use mostly Grevillea or Silk Oak and native species like pine.

San Jose Ocaña is now run by Guillermo Sanchez, has been in the Sanchez family for over 100 years (it was founded in 1910), and has always been a sustainable agricultural operation, which started mainly as a forestry business activity. In time, San José Ocaña evolved to be a coffee producing farm, serving mostly the high end specialty coffee market. This is mainly as a result of the farm's high altitude, good clayish soils and varietals. In addition, the farm takes pride in being fully sustainable. In other words, everything that is produced in San José Ocaña is used to ensure the best quality of specialty coffee.

Furthermore, all areas that do not fully produce coffee are focused on forestry. In these areas, both native and planted Native Species are grown and managed through very thorough standards, with the purpose of maintaining the delicate balance within the ecosystem. All while working within government approved practices and regulations, imposed by the National Institute of Forestry (INAB), and The National Coffee Association.

The Variety: 

SL28 was developed by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (Kenya) in the 1930s, via selections from a drought-tolerant population (Tanganyika region) and has been widely regarded as a “premium quality” Arabica cultivar.  

• Genetic grouping: It belongs to the Bourbon-Typica related group (Bourbon/Típica lineage).  

• Key agronomic traits (from the international variety catalogue):

• Good drought tolerance.  

• However, susceptibility to major diseases (especially coffee leaf rust, CLR) is a weakness.  

• Large bean size (relative to some Arabica standards).  

• Strong “quality potential” when grown at suitable altitudes.  

• Tasting Notes:

🍭 Brown sugar, litchee, 🌹 rose 

Technical Information:

Location: San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala.

Altitude: 1,850-1,950 meters.

Cultivated area: 169 hectares.

Type of agriculture: Traditional.

Shade-tolerant trees: Grevillea, silky oak, and pine, as well as other native species.

Main cultivars: Bourbon and 26 other varieties.

Harvest: Mid-January to mid-April.

Treatment: Washed.

Drying: Drying in patios and greenhouses.

Soil: Clay.

The relationship:

Damien met Guilhermo in 2023 during a trip in Guatemala with clients. What struck him directly was the precision and the dedication Guilhermo put in his job and the passion he put in his farm. He was about to put almost his entire farm under irrigation at that time and kept investing constantly. He has a long family history in the coffee industry and many involvement in Guatemala to preserve biodiversity.