Organic Guatemala Tojquia

Why we love it

Porfirio Velasquez's coffee is a combination of the classic Guatemalan flavors we’ve come to know and love, but with varied nuances throughout the drinking experience. At first sip you’ll notice sweet tones of milk chocolate and nougat, with delicate and complex flavors of hibiscus and grapefruit appearing as the cup cools. The mixture of pleasing sweetness and piquant acidity is one of the reasons we continue to come back to top tier Guatemalan coffees like Porfirio’s each year.

About Porfirio Velasqez

In many ways, Porfirio represents the very definition of campesino. His farm is a little more than 7 acres, most of which is coffee trees amongst a slew of native shade trees, flowers, and shrubs. He dresses each day in traditional Mam regalia — an indigenous people of the western highlands of Guatemala. Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to visit with him to discuss his career in coffee, which for him isn't an occupation per se, but a torch to be carried, harkening back to his parents and cultural preservation through farming and lifestyle. Though humble and reserved, he warmed and joked while we chatted over local beers — which we carried on an hours-long hike to his farm. As we translated from Mam to Spanish to English, he was especially elated upon learning that he'd placed 3rd out of 65 other farmers in the annual CODECH cupping competition, which we had the privilege of co-judging. We're honored to once again work with Porfirio and purchase his entire harvest. He's an incredible producer that — despite the challenges of modern coffee production — has been able to create an outstandingly complex coffee, all while carrying traditional farming and indigenous culture into the future.