Guatemala La Cumbre Hue. Hue.

Yolanda Guadalupe Ramírez Pérez lives with her son in San Antonio Huista, Huehuetenango, where she runs the La Cumbre coffee farm. Her fully washed blend of Caturra & Bourbon is perfectly balanced – with a sweet and fresh citrus aroma that harmonizes beautifully with notes of caramelized sugar, toffee, and nougat.

Yolanda´s husband purchased their plot of land around 2015 and has primarily been responsible for managing the farm. He is a member of a cooperative and has been actively working to market his coffee. Despite their efforts, they’ve faced some challenges and, in the past, had to sell part of their harvest to middlemen—known locally as ”coyotes”—in order to access immediate cash.

In 2025, Yolanda’s husband left to work as a migrant laborer (he is now in the US working). This is a common story in Guatemala; It’s the one way to get a big chunk of cash to be able to purchase new land for coffee. The family made this difficult decision in hopes of saving enough to purchase more land for coffee cultivation and to improve their overall quality of life. As a result, Yolanda took on the responsibility of managing the farm and marketing their coffee this year. She shared with us that she learned a great deal from her husband and feels well-prepared to take on the role.

Their 1.6-hectare farm, La Cumbre, is located in the Huehuetenango region, near the town of San Antonio Huista. Sitting at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters above sea level, the farm features loamy clay soil. This fully washed micro-lot consists of 245 kilograms of green coffee and is a blend of Bourbon and Caturra—the two varieties cultivated on the farm.

INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MICRO LOT:

They use Yolanda’s father-in-law’s mill, which is connected to electricity, to process the coffee. The coffee is depulped on the same day it’s picked and placed in a tank for fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, it’s washed and then left overnight in a tank filled with fresh, clean water before drying begins the next day.

The coffee is laid out in the sun to dry and is turned frequently—especially at the beginning, when it’s still wet to the touch. While Yolanda goes out to harvest, her son stays behind to ensure the coffee is regularly turned. Drying typically takes about three days in strong sun, or up to five days if the weather is cloudy.

During the harvest, Yolanda helps the workers pick coffee cherries. She and her husband also have extensive experience harvesting coffee on her father-in-law’s farm. Yolanda says she enjoys the work and used to bring her son along when he was younger. The plot where they work is about 90 minutes from their home.