Puerta Verde - Bourbon

About the Coffee

Finca Puerta Verde has been in the Zelaya family since 1999. Ricardo Zelaya, a fourth-generation coffee producer, oversees the operation across 39 hectares in the Panchoy Valley near Ciudad Vieja, at elevations between 1,520 and 2,000 meters above sea level. The farm runs on deep volcanic soil with consistent rainfall and clean water access, conditions that have made Antigua one of Guatemala's most productive coffee regions. Ricardo doesn't run the farm alone. Marcos Rompiche, the farm administrator, is the third generation of his family to work at Puerta Verde and brings more than 20 years of hands-on knowledge. Israel Yool, the production manager, has 16 years on the same land. Between the two of them, they know every shift in elevation, soil, and microclimate across the farm.

About 60% of Puerta Verde is planted in Caturra and 20% in Bourbon, with the remaining hectares devoted to varieties like Villa Sarchi and Bourboncito. The Bourbon for this lot goes through a washed process, where the fruit is removed before fermentation and the beans are dried with less influence from the cherry. This tends to produce a cleaner, more straightforward cup that puts the character of the variety and terroir front and center. Shade trees like Grevillea are planted throughout the farm to protect coffee plants from direct sun, support soil health, and provide wildlife habitat. Processing by-products don't go to waste: coffee pulp is composted through worm bins into humus, and water used in the wet mill is recirculated rather than discharged.

No6 Coffee Co. started buying Ricardo's coffees through importer Common Goal in 2015, the same year they opened. The relationship has continued since, and they now carry lots from both Puerta Verde and Ricardo's better-known Santa Clara farm. The No6 team had the chance to cup alongside Ricardo and Billy from Common Goal at origin, tasting through more than 20 lots across Ricardo's farms before selecting this one.

About No6 Coffee Co.

No6 Coffee Co. was founded in 2015 in Nelson, British Columbia. From the start, the roastery was built around relationships, with importers who work directly with producers over the long term, and with farmers who take care of the land they grow on. They operate as a boutique roastery and tasting bar, roasting and restocking weekly in small batches.

No6 sources exclusively through independent specialty importers who work directly with small farms and cooperatives. They pay above fair-trade premiums, which is reflected in the range of prices across their single-origin offerings. Their green coffee is stored in sealed GrainPro bags in a controlled, low-humidity environment between roasts. The roastery has also run a zero-waste initiative since opening, offering coffee in returnable glass jars and a wholesale bucket system alongside their standard bags, which have saved thousands of single-use items from landfill.

"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 not looking to roast the most unusual or headline-worthy coffee, and instead are looking to master the craft of roasting to produce a lineup of outstanding coffees that speak for themselves."

- Dean, Director of Coffee