Puerta Verde - Bourbon

About the Coffee

Finca Puerta Verde has been part of the Zelaya family since 1999. Ricardo Zelaya is a fourth-generation producer based in Antigua, Guatemala, and one of the more recognized names in the country's coffee industry. The farm sits in the Panchoy Valley just outside Ciudad Vieja at 1,520 to 2,000 meters above sea level, on the deep volcanic soils that Antigua is known for. The day-to-day operation is run by Marcos Rompiche, the farm's administrator and a third-generation worker on the land with over 20 years of experience, alongside Israel Yool, the production manager, who has 16 years on the farm. Together they manage 39 hectares, with around 60% planted in Caturra and 20% in Bourbon.

Ricardo's team has worked methodically to match the right varieties to the right parts of the farm, accounting for shifts in elevation, microclimate, and soil across the property. On the sustainability side, Gravilea shade trees protect the plants and support local wildlife, and all processing byproducts are repurposed. Coffee pulp goes through worm composting to become humus, and water used in the wet mill is managed through sedimentation tanks and reused where possible.

No6 Coffee Co. has been buying Ricardo's coffees through importer Common Goal since 2015. Roaster Andy Wilkin had the chance to cup through more than 20 lots from Ricardo's farms at origin, alongside Billy from Common Goal, tasting through offerings from Santa Clara, Pulcal, and Puerta Verde. This Bourbon lot from Puerta Verde stood out for its bright acidity and slight herbal character.

About No6 Coffee Co.

No6 Coffee Co. was founded in 2015 in Nelson, British Columbia. The roastery was built around a straightforward idea: that relationships throughout the supply chain, between roaster, importer, and producer, are what produce better coffee. They work exclusively with importers who source directly from small farms and cooperatives and maintain long-term ties with the producers they buy from.

On the sourcing side, No6 focuses on specialty-grade lots where farmers are paid above fair trade premiums. Green coffee is stored in sealed GrainPro bags in a low-humidity environment and roasted in small batches weekly. Their relationship with Ricardo Zelaya and Common Goal spans the full decade they've been in operation.

"I sat with Denis, owner of No6 Coffee Co, this past January. One of the more memorable moments from our conversation was when he explained that No6 is is not looking to roast the most unusual or headline-worthy coffee, but to master the technique of coffee roasting and produce simply great cups of coffee for just about everyone."

- Dean, Director of Coffee