Fredy Orantes farms about 7 hectares in Santa Rosa, Fraijanes, Guatemala, producing a range of lots with different varieties and processes. Last year, we happily scooped up a naturally processed Catuai, and this year, we went even wilder with that sneaky house favorite process/variety duo of a NATURAL PACAMARA.

Then again, maybe it’s not actually so wild a decision when you consider Fredy’s reputation. He’s widely regarded as a true leader among coffee producers in his home region of Fraijanes, where his offerings go from “nano” all the way up to not-even-micro-tbh, and he consistently stays keen on innovation while always prioritizing sustainability. His Pacamara parcel was only planted in 2019, just beginning to bear fruits in time for us to steal some sips this spring. 

As soon as we received a sample of this coffee, we knew we had something pretty special: massive and uniform beans, reflecting beautifully mature fruits and impeccably diligent picking and processing. The cup itself triumphantly reinforced this flashy physique with sensations of big red fruit candy, a sticky sweet mouthfeel, and earthy, tangy spice to round it out. Just as charmingly dynamic as last year’s Natural Catuai, drinking this coffee unfolds like the giddy guesswork of friends continuously feeding a jukebox, good times rolling, never too much concern about what’s up next.