Guatemala Finca La Bolsa SL-28 Honey

Apple Cider, Shortbread, Clove

This coffee is an MFC Exclusive: a rare microlot sourced directly from Cup of Excellence farm, Finca La Bolsa. 

Those of you who have chosen to swap your social life for coffee fanaticism will know that SL-28 is a Kenyan varietal. Owing to its quality, other origins have begun experimenting with it. Finca Kilimanjaro in El Salvador started growing SL-28. So did a few other heavy hitters. Still, 99% of SL-28 offerings come from Kenya.

La Bolsa's SL-28 stands out, not simply because the shrub is rarely found in Guatemala, but because they chose to buck Kenyan washed processing and use a stellar honey method instead. The result is a coffee that's twice unique: an SL-28 from Guatemala that isn't a washed brew.

The cup opens with an apple cider note, and my is it magnificent. It's one of those flavors that packs the punch of a 5 am airhorn. Backing up the tone is a dash of shortbread. Paired with the apple cider, the pastry-like quality turns into something like a fall dessert. Spice rounds out the profile, a bit of clove, some nutmeg, plus a dry mouthfeel that set the coffee in a tea-like space. It's a blue chip brew, as special as it is limited — get it while it lasts.

• Region - La Libertad, Huehuetenango
• Farm - Finca La Bolsa
• Process - Honey
• Varietal - SL-28
• Elevation - 1,600 MASL

Best for:

• Pour Over
• Aeropress
• Single Origin Espresso