What Makes This Month's Magic Seeds so Special?

We are super excited to introduce you to our very first Magic Seeds, but first let us tell you a bit about February's daily drinker. 

Your big bag for this month is a beautifully balanced coffee, grown by members of Cooperativa Agrícola Integral Tajumuco, R.L. in Nuevo Cantinil.  This is a village in Huehuentenago, about 10 miles from the Mexico border. Coffees from this area are some of Tony's favorite "first cup" of the day; in fact, he was in Huehuetenango when he first started to really develop the idea behind Acorn Coffee Club. The milk chocolate, hazelnut, blackberry, and orange notes are the perfect example of the classic Huehuetenango profile.

Although they are from the same area, his month's Magic Seeds are a much more dynamic, vibrant coffee from further south in Guatemala. It is grown on the Los Cuxinales farm, owned by Pedro Echeverria in the southern end of Guatemala's Antigua valley. The farm's name refers to their use of the Cuxín tree to provide shade, as well as increase biodiversity as it attracts a wide variety of birds and insects.  

the shaded road through Los Cuxinales

This selection has two key distinguishing features. First, it is processed with the cherry-dried or natural method. In this method, the coffee fruit is left on the seeds to slowly dry. Pedro uses a very slow, 25-day process, allowing direct sunlight to hit the coffee for only 4 hours each day. This slow process enables the coffee to take on typical berry notes, but also retain a unique brightness and sparkling clarity.

Secondly, this selection is a Pacamara variety, for which Tony has a huge soft spot. Pacamara beans are immediately recognizable by their shockingly large size. In the cup, Pacamaras typically carry notes of tropical fruit and have spiced undertones to support their complex acidities. Pedro has masterfully combined this variety's natural characteristics with his skillful application of the cherry-dried method to create this vibrant, juicy, and sparkling-clean cup.

big, perfectly ripe Pacamara ready to cherry-dry 

There is one more very unique influence making this coffee so special; Los Cuxinales is set low in the Antigua valley, allowing Pedro to use irrigation on his farm. Most great coffees come from higher elevations and as a result are dependent on rainfall for their ripening. In this, Pedro has the rare option of irrigation to ensure optimal fruit development.

Some of the tasting notes you all have shared with us so far are: strawberry, lychee, grapefruit, lemon, and cocoa.

We knew this coffee was truly special from the first sip, as we selected it for you and are proud to be able to offer it as our first Magic Seeds.