Guatemala - El Jardin

Region: Western Highlands, San Marcos

Coffee Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra

Altitude: 1800-2200

Farm type: Various neighbouring farms

Typical taste profile: lots of chocolate, weighty smooth texture, mellow raw nut aftertaste, balanced yet crisp acidity and tree fruit sweetness

The group of farms, known as El Jardin, are in the highlands region surrounded by a volcanic mountainous landscape. The scenery is not only beautiful but perfect for growing coffee with the soil being rich in nutrients in combination with the high altitude and cool climate. 

Compared to other regions, San Marcos is unique in that it is generally the warmest and receives the earliest, highest precipitation. San Marcos isn’t as well known as other Guatemalan coffee regions, however, this simply means you are in for a surprising and delightful experience. 

A key aspect of the this coffee is the producers have made the effort to incorporate sustainable farming practices into their production. This has earned them an organic status. On top of that they are being paid by our coffee importer for their costs associated with the organic and fair-trade certifications. This means more income in the growers pockets. Perfect!

 Did you know?

The organic fertiliser used on the farms is made onsite. They reuse ‘waste’ from the processing of the coffee and around the farms. This helps replenish the soils nutrients and also feeds the coffee trees in a cost effective manner.

Interestingly, El Jardin is very close to the western border of Mexico though it is rarely visited as it is isolated. Most people are travelling through the department of San Marcos to either reach the major city of Quetzaltenango (also known as Xela) or Mexico. Xela is where the coffee from El Jardin is dry milled and exported from.

All of us at FOUR are happy to have this coffee available for so many reasons and look forward to you enjoying it also. Let's continue supporting our communities and doing our part where possible.