Los Manantiales (Anacafe14 Nat.), Guatemala

Located in the beautiful mountains of Jutiapa, Guatemala, Los Manantiales was founded in 1997 by Adolfo Pivaral and later managed by his son, Ronald Pivaral.

This lot of land comes from a plantation called “La Pinada,” named for the shade provided by Ocarpa pine trees planted at 1800masl. The farm focuses on a semi-organic system, balancing the application of organic and chemical fertilizers, such as coffee pulp and cattle manure, while the chemical fertilizers used are slow-release.

This region is known for its distinct seasons: a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season ensures effective fruit development and flowering, while the dry season guarantees uniform ripening and proper drying. Annual rainfall ranges from 900-1200 mm, and the soil is clay loam of volcanic origin.

The processing of this lot #M1 is a natural anaerobic process. It begins at harvest, ensuring that the coffee is mostly at optimal ripeness (purple). The beans are then placed in sacks weighing a maximum of 50 lbs to prevent crushing and preserve the mucilage they acquire from the field.

Once the coffee is processed, it ferments in special bags under controlled temperature and light conditions for 96h. During this time, the coffee is stirred every 8h to homogenize the fermentation process. Afterward, it is covered with a drying layer no thicker than 2 cm to prevent internal fermentation. It is left in the sun for 48h without being moved to avoid crushing and pulping. After 48h, the coffee is stirred every 30min to ensure uniform drying until it reaches a moisture content of 10-11%. This process takes between 15 and 18 days, depending on weather conditions.

Once the desired humidity is reached, the coffee is moved to a storage facility for resting under controlled light and air conditions, thus beginning its aging process. After 15 days of storage, the coffee is ready to be evaluated for quality and sold.