Vista Al Bosque
Floral and complex with winey acidity and notes of pink lady apple, black tea, rose, and a milk chocolate and cinnamon finish.
Vista Al Bosque comes from remote western Guatemalan region of Huehuetenango in the municipality of Hoja Blanca, right near the border of Mexico.
Huehuetenango is known for its vast ethnic diversity and Cuchumatanes mountain range, the highest non-volcanic mountain range in all of Central America. It is also home to some of the most complex and celebrated coffees in the country, which frequently appear in the top ten of the Cup of Excellence competition. This is in part due to the incredibly high altitudes that coffee is able to grow at (up to 2,000m above sea level), and thanks to the dry, hot winds that blow into the mountains from Mexico’s Tehuantepec plain, protecting the region from frost. These high altitudes, combined with a relatively predictable climate make for exceptional quality coffee, like this very special lot from Vista Al Bosque.
Wilmar grew up working by his father Felino’s side and witnessed his passion for coffee. The family grew up in La Libertad, before selling their land and moving to Hoja Blanca. The main reason for this was the farm they owned in La Libertad was at a lower altitude, and lacked access to a main road and water. So the family took a big risk, and sold everything and moved to Hoja Blanca.
In 2008 they purchased Vista Al Bosque, which had all the right conditions to produce exceptional coffee, including a very high elevation of 1,600–1,900m above sea level which allows the beans to mature very slowly, giving time for the sugars to develop and resulting in a clean, sweet and complex cup.
Vista Al Bosque translates to ‘the farm that overlooks the forest’. Bourbon, Caturra and Pacamara variety trees are grown on the farm, under the shade of Ingas treeswhich protect the coffee trees from the sun and provide valuable organic material which helps keep the soil moist and well nourished. The harvest runs from December through until April.
Today Wilmar’s parents live on the farm, along with Wilmar, his wife, and his sixteen-year-old son. He is well regarded in the region for his high quality coffee, and is now working with his neighbours to help them produce better quality coffee, and in turn secure higher prices as a result. Wilmar credits his father for success. Witnessing his father’s passion and attention to detail has had a real impact on the way the farm is run, and this certainly shows in the cup.
