"Upon grounding, the coffee as a dry aroma of orange, citrus and grape fruit. On the palate, orange juice, cranberry, mild pomelo, black tea with aroma of hazelnuts. The coffee is bright and sweet."

Hacienda Carmona has been in Maria Zelaya's family since 1910 when it was purchased by her grandfather. Following her grandfather's passing, the farm was inherited by Maria's mother, and now Maria is the third-generation owner of Hacienda Carmona.

In 2012, the Carmona farm faced a severe threat from coffee rust disease. With the assistance of her son, who now oversees day-to-day operations, they successfully tackled the disease by managing plant nutrition, implementing pest control measures, and effectively caring for their coffee plantation. Notably, their efforts not only helped them overcome the disease but also led to increased farm output and improved coffee quality as the plants grew healthier.

Luis Pedro Zelaya, a key figure in the management, brought about significant changes. While the farm had primarily focused on commercial coffee production for many years, they gradually transitioned to exclusively producing specialty coffee. Hacienda Carmona covers a total land area of 675 hectares, with 112.5 hectares dedicated to coffee cultivation.

The selection offered here is a Peaberry lot, which was separated during the sorting process. Peaberries typically make up around 5% of the annual coffee output and are named for their unique, round pea-like shape. They are known for their bright acidity and buoyancy. Peaberries occur as a natural mutation inside the coffee cherry, where a single round bean forms instead of the usual two flat beans. Coffee enthusiasts often find peaberries to be noticeably sweeter and more flavorful than regular coffee beans.

The Zelaya family operates their own mill located on the farm for processing their cherries. This selection comes from the Bella Carmona farm, which is owned by Hacienda Carmona and mainly planted with the Bourbon coffee variety. The coffee from this farm undergoes traditional washing. This time-tested process, refined over the past century by the Zelaya family, involves selecting and fermenting the cherries before depulping. After depulping, the coffee is thoroughly washed to remove all mucilage. Subsequently, it is placed on raised beds for drying. To maintain precise control over the drying environment, a greenhouse was constructed, and all drying takes place within it. Sensor-controlled airflow is utilized to ensure a consistent and uniform drying process.

Following the completion of the drying process, mechanical sorting using a size sorter is employed to separate the peaberries from the rest of the beans.

Variety : Bourbon
Altitude : 1700 masl
Process : Fully Washed
Origin : Antigua