Guatemala El Sol Natural

69 kg GrainPro packaging

🏞️ Region and terroir – Huehuetenango

El Sol comes from the Huehuetenango region in western Guatemala, near the border with Mexico. It is one of the country’s most important and respected coffee-growing regions, renowned for producing high-altitude Arabica with a distinctive flavor profile.

The coffee is grown around the town of La Libertad, at approximately 1,350–1,750 meters above sea level. The region is characterized by rugged mountain terrain, significant elevation differences, and a unique microclimate.

Compared with some other Guatemalan coffee-growing regions, Huehuetenango is less exposed to direct ocean influence. Warm air currents from the Mexican lowlands help moderate the cold mountain nights and contribute to favorable conditions for growing coffee at higher elevations.

The high altitude and differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures slow the ripening of the coffee cherries. This gives the fruit more time to develop sugars and aromatic compounds, which are then reflected in the cup.

Coffees from Huehuetenango are often noted for their pronounced sweetness, fruitiness, and complex aromas. In naturally processed lots, these qualities are complemented by a fuller body and additional fruit layers that develop as the whole cherries dry.

El Sol is an example of a coffee that combines the character of Guatemala’s high-altitude terroir with the natural sweetness and complexity of the dry process.

🌄 La Libertad and Huehuetenango’s coffee tradition

La Libertad lies in the mountainous region of western Guatemala and is part of the broader Huehuetenango coffee region.

Coffee growing here is rooted in a long tradition of family farms, whose production is closely tied to the local landscape and the specific conditions of each growing area.

Guatemala is a major producer of specialty Arabica, and Huehuetenango holds a particularly important place in this tradition. The region is known for its varied microclimates, high-altitude cultivation, and ability to produce coffees with pronounced aromatic complexity.

In El Sol, the character of the region is combined with natural processing. While the high-altitude origin contributes sweetness and structure to the beans, drying the whole cherries accentuates the fruit notes and gives the cup greater depth.

The result is a coffee that combines a traditional Guatemalan origin with a distinctly fruity and sweet character.

👨🌾 Vides Farms – the story of the Vides family

The El Sol project is led by the Vides family, whose story in Guatemala’s coffee industry began in 1958.

That year, Dr. Jorge Vides founded Finca La Bolsa. Alongside his medical career and later role in the leadership of the National Hospital in Huehuetenango, coffee growing became his lifelong passion and the foundation of his family’s legacy.

His approach combined coffee production with a focus on education, environmental protection, and the development of the local community.

Today, the second and third generations of the Vides family carry this vision forward. They are developing specialty coffee production and working with other producers in the region.

Their project focuses primarily on:

• Traceability: A focus on the identity of individual lots and their growing origins.
• Responsible farming: Caring for the soil and environment in coffee-growing areas.
• Collaboration with producers: Connecting family farms and regional production with the specialty coffee market.
• Long-term continuity: Preserving the family tradition and developing it through future generations.

El Sol is therefore not just a standalone coffee lot, but part of a broader project built on the Vides family’s many years of experience and its connection to the Huehuetenango region.

⚙️ Natural – dry processing

El Sol is processed using the Natural method, a dry process in which the coffee cherries are dried whole, including the skin and pulp.

Unlike the washed process, the fruit is not depulped before drying. The coffee bean remains inside the whole cherry, and natural fermentation processes take place as it dries gradually.

This processing method requires careful selection of ripe cherries and close monitoring of the drying process. When done properly, the Natural process can enhance the sweetness, fruitiness, and body of the resulting cup.

1. Selective hand-picking

The coffee cherries are hand-picked at optimal ripeness.

Careful selection of ripe fruit is essential to the quality of naturally processed coffee. Since the cherries remain whole during drying, the quality of the incoming fruit directly affects the final flavor profile.

2. Resting after harvest

After harvest, the cherries are left to rest for approximately 24 hours before further processing.

This step is part of the specific process used for El Sol. The cherries are then taken to the wet mill, where they are sorted by density and quality.

3. Sorting by density and quality

Before drying, the cherries are sorted at the wet mill.

Sorting by density and quality helps remove lower-quality fruit and ensure consistency in the material prepared for processing.

Careful selection is especially important for natural lots, where differences in cherry ripeness and quality can affect both fermentation and the final flavor.

4. Sun-drying

The selected cherries are then sun-dried for approximately 17 days.

According to the product sheet, the coffee is dried on raised drying beds and regularly moved throughout the process.

Regular turning and movement of the cherries help ensure even drying and moisture distribution. They also make it possible to monitor the natural fermentation taking place inside each whole cherry.

During this stage, the sweetness and fruity complexity characteristic of naturally processed coffees gradually develop.

5. Dry milling and preparation for export

Once drying is complete, the coffee is prepared for export at the dry mill.

The beans are machine-sorted by size, density, and color. This step helps ensure consistent quality and remove defective beans.

According to the document, the finished lot is packed in jute sacks with an Ecocact protective liner.

Tasting notes: strawberries, pineapple, cocoa, vanilla

Country of origin: Guatemala

Region: Huehuetenango, La Libertad

Farm: El Sol

Farmer: Vides Family

Altitude: 1350-1750 m.a.s.l.

Variety: Caturra, Bourbon

Processing: Natural

Cupping Score: 86

Crop: Mitaca Crop 2025/2026