Notes from our Green Buyer

Finca Retana is owned by Fernando Cofiño and has been in his family for nearly 100 years. Just outside the famous town of Antigua, this farm boasts a beautiful example of classic Antigua coffee—a bright but chocolatey profile that makes everyone happy. Our friend, Luis Pedro, manages Fernando’s farm with his usual meticulous pruning, harvesting, and processing that lets the coffee shine through every year, making it a perennial favorite.

Notes from our Roaster

A good majority of your single origin Guatemalan coffees remain on the sweeter side and taste like apple or pear—these types of fruit contain what is called malic acid (and we communicate this level of acidity and sweetness around 4 on the dial). Others, like Retana, taste a bit more like orange. Oranges, or other citrus fruits—lemon, lime, grapefruit—contain citric acid (and coffees that taste citric are closer to 12 on the dial). In Retana, you’ll notice a bit more citric acidity, with “orange” as one of the primary notes, compared to the subtler malic acidity of the previous Guatemalans you’ve been drinking. Still, this coffee doesn’t veer too far from the classic washed-processed Guatemalan, so its tanginess (or acidity) will still be well-balanced with its sweetness (like dried apricot).