El Limonar - Guatemala

About the Coffee

El Limonar is a farm near San Pedro Necta in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, founded in the 1950s by Don Hugo Chávez Méndez. The property started as a corn farm before transitioning to coffee. Today, Ramiro Martinez runs the operation, which sits between 1,524 and 1,850 meters above sea level. Huehuetenango's elevation, mineral-rich soils, and warm winds from the Tehuantepec isthmus slow down cherry maturation, which builds more complexity in the cup.

Martinez grows a blend of Bourbon, Caturra, and Pache, three varieties with long histories in Guatemala and strong reputations for expressing local terroir. The farm uses a washed process with 24 hours of fermentation, followed by drying on raised patios. On the sustainability side, El Limonar recycles wastewater, uses spent coffee grounds as fertilizer, and relies on manual weeding instead of herbicides. A native tree canopy provides over 60% shade coverage for the coffee plants, and roughly a quarter of the property is set aside as a natural reserve.

This coffee is straightforward to brew at home and works across most methods, from a morning filter to an afternoon pour over.

About 94 Celcius

94 Celcius was founded in Montreal in 2017 by Marc-Alexandre Emond-Boisjoly, who holds a B.Sc. in biochemistry and an M.Sc. in pharmacology. That scientific background shows up directly in how 94 Celcius roasts: every batch goes through a Probat P12 roaster with high-precision thermal probes tracking temperature, energy, and roast curve to keep results consistent from one order to the next.

Beyond the technical side, 94 Celcius builds relationships with producers known for pushing processing methods forward, including Diego Samuel Bermúdez, Wilton Benitez, and Sebastian Ramirez. Their sourcing priorities are sensory quality first, then shared values around transparency and fair trade terms. Marc-Alexandre also sits on the board of Café Collectif, a Montreal-based organization working to develop the local specialty coffee scene.

"As the guy responsible for testing your coffee before you get it, sampling 94 Celcius beans was an absolute pleasure. Every cup was remarkably clear AND had depth of flavour to explore. I'm particularly excited for you to try "El Limonar", which has the potential to be another subscriber favourite."

- Dean, Director of Coffee