We've been sourcing Guatemalan coffee from the team at San Patricio since we were first introduced in 2013 by our mutual friend Raul Rodas (2012 World Barista Champion). As a team who love to experiment, the coffees produced by San Patricio El Limon just keep getting better.
Each member of the Reyes family plays a part in running of San Patricio El Limon. This includes Beto's wife Maralyn, their children Saul, Elena, Betio and his wife Mafer and Beto's brother Felix who runs their mill. In addition to the family, they employ a team of seven outside of harvest.
The farm is located an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, which Beto is also the mayor of. It’s 18 hectares in size and sits at an altitude between 1,350–1,850 meters above sea level. The Reyes family have had a processing mill on-site since the beginning of their time on the farm. They recently invested in a rebuild, alongside the construction of a QC laboratory, new warehouse and accommodation for their employees.
Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé (the National Association of Coffee in Guatemala), but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. As a coffee buying business, we've always liked being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. Over time El Limon has become one of our favourite Hasrelationships, and back in 2013, they were the first producers that we ever bought from directly in Guatemala.
The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family operates their own wet mill, so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. They are able to process many lots simultaneously and keep separate days' pickings, processes, and varietals in their own parcels. The wet mill also benefits the local community as neighbours within the region of Palencia also bring their coffees to the mill to be processed.
Beto continues to invest in bettering the farm and its operations, and you can taste through this Guatemalan coffee that they're doing an incredible job!
