A sweet, caramel-like cup with nutty, almond notes, this Guatemalan coffee is farmed by our friends at the Asociación Chajulense. The city of Chajul, where the co-op is headquartered, is a Mayan urban center, echoing a time when Mayan kingdoms ruled the land. It is one of the three towns that makes up the Ixil Triangle that is located in the Quiche department of Guatemala's western highlands. This area was particularly affected during the Guatemalan Civil War, and the co-op was formed in 1988 by 40 families who were focused on sustaining members, the environment and their local culture. About 1,500 farmers from 56 nearby communities make up the co-op today, and since 2013, the group has been working with the non-profit, The Coffee Trust, to combat a new adversary: La Roya (the coffee rust). La Roya is a devastating fungus that kills coffee plants and reduces crop yield. Through a farmer-to-farmer best-practice-sharing program, members have learned how to replenish nutrients in their soil that helps coffee trees resist La Roya.

Learn more about the Asociación Chajulense, or buy their coffee, which has a particularly bright and sweet cup.

Elevation: 1,100 - 1,800 m

Varietals: Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon

Suggested Brewing Method: Auto Drip

Pictured: Farmer brothers Pablo and Pedro Pachecko Bop of Chel, Guatemala; Miguel Tzoy of Asociación Chajulense.