Aurelio Villatoro & Family - Finca La Esperanza

We have a midweek treat to share with you.  There are so many stories we could share to introduce this video story of the very special Villatoro family and their spectacular small farms on the western frontier of Huehuetenango, but we'll just let you see it for yourselves. 

This video is a look into a family united in vision, just a tiny glimpse into the multigenerational, COE winning, innovative venture that is Finca Villaure & La Esperanza.  We encourage you to set a few minutes aside without interruptions.  Brew your favorite pour-over or make yourself a snack, and experience the Villatoro family as we have for many years.

Nearly 15 years ago our CEO Edwin and Aurelio were bumping along in a coffee-laden truck.  Edwin's father Edwin and grandfather Felipe came along with Aurelio's wife Araceli, and the crew drove their freshly milled lots down to Puerto Quetzal.  Some of Edwin's first memories with Aurelio involve eating fried fish from market stalls with his grandfather Felipe on the drive to the coast. They supervised loading together and spent most of the day between customs offices.  It was the beginning of one of our longest-running partnerships. Our work with the Villatoros is much deeper than business.

Onyx was born a short time later, with the vision of connecting other producers to roasters around the world.  As curious neighbors heard about Edwin's endeavors, many more were interested. It wasn't long before we were cupping lots from Aurelio's other family members. Partnering with Aurelio's brothers Julian, Juan, Pedro, and Florencio, and his father-in-law Petronilo didn't take long.

Here's a guide to the family and their lots:  Don Petronilo Martinez and his wife Demetria (left and right of Edwin in the photo below) began cultivating coffee in the high valley of Hoja Blanca in the late 1950s.  To this day Don Petronilo works his Finca El Aguacatal with his son Petronilo, and their La Garita is a hit each harvest.

Early on, the Martinez's became close with Eleodoro and Elena de Villatoro, and Petronilo's daughter Araceli fell for Eleodoro's son, the young mechanic Aurelio Villatoro (left and right in the photo above).  Soon they were married.  Aurelio began taking over his father's Finca La Esperanza, along with the support of his many brothers.  Each of the brothers had families and built homes, wet mills and drying patios near each other.  The small village of Hoja Blanca grew steadily.  Aurelio's lots include La Basa and Campamento Alto.  His older brother Juan has El Milagro and El Pino.  Pedro represents Guayabales.  Florencio works tirelessly at El Diamante. 

Now, the third generation is bringing the family business to new heights.  Juan and Lesbia had a son named Milton, who grew up and studied agronomy to invest in the future of coffee.  Aurelio and Araceli raised Jenner, Rodin, and Crista, who are now the head of quality control, agronomist and farm manager, and marketing + customer relations manager respectively. Their cousin Denis manages the cupping lab day to day. Florencio's son Riner manages El Diamante with his father. Together, the young Villatoros embody a new wave of farm-level innovation. From their varietal experiments to processing specialization and meticulous quality control, the family is unified in purpose, and very forward thinking.  There's a place for everyone at the cupping table. 

For the past few harvest cycles, lots from the Villatoro family have steadily accumulated demand well before landing stateside.  Of the seven Villatoro family lots on the water now, four are already sold out.  Here's what's available, landing at The Annex in the next 2-3 weeks:

Petronilo Martinez, La Garita

Varieties - Bourbon and Caturra

Altitude - 1675 MASL

Processing - Fully washed, patio dried

Notes - Floral fragrance, lively, tropical fruits, pink grapefruit, plum

Availability - 27 bags landing at Annex

Price - $4.18/lb

Aurelio Villatoro, La Basa

Varieties - Bourbon and Caturra

Altitude - 1700 MASL

Processing - Fully washed, patio dried

Notes - Brown sugar, milk chocolate, red grape, orange, sweet

Availability - 32 bags landing at Annex

Price - $4.28/lb

Florencio Villatoro, El Diamante

Varieties - Bourbon and Caturra

Altitude - 1750 MASL

Processing - Fully washed, patio dried

Notes - Fragrant, caramel, pineapple, melon, praline finish

Availability - 35 bags landing at Annex

Price - $4.30/lb

This virtual farm story, while beautiful, is a poor substitution for experiencing Origin in person with us.  Whether you can come down to Guatemala with us next season or not, we have the decades of hard-earned expertise in Guatemala to help differentiate your offerings, while reducing the gap between coffee drinker and coffee producer.

Talk to us about pre-booking these coffees before they hit land, view our full offer list here, or request samples below.

Thank you for joining us on the journey.