Guatemala - Fredy Orantes' Buena Vista Pacamara [25/26]

Our second season buying coffee from Fredy Orantes, and genuinely these might be some of our favourite coffees to come out of Guatemala - it's an origin we never really chase hype farms from, but Finca Buena Vista is one of the gems in the Primavera lineup for sure. Combining a bio-diversity + regenerative agriculture first approach with excellent, excellent quality, Fredy is absolutely smashing it.

While last year presented some heavier, cacao lead funk notes - this year's Pacamara lot from Fredy is lighter and cleaner, though unmistakably a process-lead cup. And it's a true Pacamara - BIGBOY beans, a very fun technical challenge for us as roasters

Brew Guide:

Best Brewed with: Filter

Lightest Roaster Influence: We're inspired by Rob Hoos' note on Pacamara - don't go TOO soft and slow on it. But equally - we're notoriously quite a fast roaster; so it's a bit of a split difference. Slower roasting/not so aggressive heat application to ensure we don't scorch the outside, but equally ensuring a good heat delta. Low end temp short dev to ensure funk-minning

Best Rested: 4+ Weeks

Filter: 64g/L, 96°C when fresh, keep the ratio but go down to 91-92°C with rest

Espresso: 18g/55g/15-20s, great turbo/soup

We're tasting: Rose turkish delight and fresh picked overripe raspberry aromatics, in the cup it's incredibly sweet - reminding us of white chocolate milkshake, with raspberry jam acidity and pink marshmallow + dried mango flavours. As it cools, becoming more tropical (reminding us of mixed tropical fruit juice) and process lead, with some hints of a boozier, pulpier process note - like kriek lambic

Traceability

The Story

Fredy Orantes and his 7-hectare Finca Buena Vista have consistently been a jewel in the Primavera offer for Guatemala, delivering exceptional quality year after year across multiple varieties and processing methods. Located at 1900 MASL in the Fraijanes region, the farm sits at relatively high elevation for the area, which proves ideal for cultivating the more demanding varieties that Orantes specialises in.

Fraijanes presents a different microclimate compared to Guatemala's other renowned regions - it's notably warmer than the cooler highlands of Huehuetenango, with volcanic soils deposited by nearby Volcán Pacaya providing mineral-rich growing conditions. Whilst the region can be more prone to drought conditions, this characteristic actually creates perfect circumstances for processing naturals and honey process lots, where extended drying periods and abundant sunshine become advantages rather than obstacles.

Orantes has capitalised on these conditions by focusing on rare cultivars alongside traditional varieties. His plantings include Gesha and Pacamara - both varieties that thrive at altitude and reward careful cultivation - grown alongside Yellow Catuaí. The quality achieved across all three varieties demonstrates both the farm's potential and Orantes' technical expertise in variety-specific cultivation techniques.

The operation maintains a particular focus on biodiversity and environmental sustainability, employing shade-growing systems and prioritising soil health through organic composting programmes. This unfenced approach allows natural wildlife corridors to remain intact whilst supporting ecosystem balance across the property. Such practices contribute not only to environmental stewardship but also to the complex flavour development that characterises exceptional specialty coffee - more and more we see producers start to talk about the importance of soil health in the future of Speciality coffee, something that Primavera is focusing on with their bio-char project.