The Breezes

Get to know this coffee in detail

Marvin Carias is a first-generation producer.

In 1990, he purchased the first hectares of the Las Brisas estate and over the years has reinvested profits and expanded his land to the 350 hectares that make up the estate today.

The farm's biodiversity plays an essential role in the quality and sustainability of its plots. Marvin combines coffee trees with avocado, pine, and oak trees, among others, to maintain the microclimate and provide shade for the coffee plants.

This batch consists of the first selection of the finest cherries, hand-picked at their peak ripeness. The cherries are pulped and subjected to a classic washing process to separate all the mucilage from the berry. They are then left to dry on raised beds.

Meet the producer

Las Brisas is a farm located near the department of Mataquescuintla, in the Jalapa region, in the southeast of the Republic of Guatemala.

The farm is located between 1,600 and 1,700 meters and has an average temperature of 18.9 degrees year-round.

It has abundant rainfall, especially in the summer months, when temperatures are also slightly higher.

The altitude, climate, and abundant rainfall in some months make this site ideal for growing coffee. The coffee trees on this farm grow in the shade of various trees such as avocado, oak, pine, guachipiline, and jícaro trees, which slows the ripening process.

Marvin Carias, specialty coffee entrepreneur

Marvin Carias is the owner of Las Brisas farm, but his family had not previously been involved in coffee farming.

Marvin bought the first hectares of the Las Brisas farm in 1990 and began growing coffee from that moment on.

Experience and training have made the coffee grown at Las Brisas of excellent quality, and that's why we bring you this batch.

Marvin started with just a few hectares in a mountainous area that was difficult to cultivate.

But his perseverance and know-how have meant that each year, by reinvesting the coffee profits, the farm has grown to the 350 hectares it now covers.

Marvin and his team help maintain the natural ecosystem and take advantage of available resources, such as shade from trees, to benefit the crop.

Coffee processing at the Las Brisas farm

This batch consists of the first selection of the best cherries from this farm. The cherries are hand-picked and only when they have reached their optimum ripeness.

This is the stage when they have the most subtle flavors and can offer a more complete cup profile. Cherries that fail the selection are used for lower-quality batches.

Once picked, the cherries are washed.

The cherries are pulped as soon as they are picked and washed with water to remove any remaining mucilage.

Washing the process stops the natural fermentation process, which begins as soon as the cherries are removed from the vine.
A clean profile is created in the cup, highlighting the coffee bean's own qualities.

Once the coffee seeds are washed, they are left to dry for approximately two weeks on raised beds.

During this time, they must be turned regularly to ensure even drying.

Finca Las Brisas, an incentive for the local economy

Many coffee growers personally grow and harvest their coffee, but processing is often done at a communal washing station or at a cooperative.

In Marvin's case, he decided to set up a washing and processing plant on his farm to have control over the entire process.

This allows for better quality control throughout the entire chain until the coffee is ready for export.

The slow but steady increase in the size of the Las Brisas farm and the fact that the coffee is processed on the farm itself requires a significant amount of labor.

Marvin has a permanent team, but during harvest and processing times, he needs to hire more people to help, which is a great boost for the local economy.

Part of the philosophy of specialty coffee is to treat producers fairly and allow them to enjoy a decent quality of life.

A formula achieved through direct contact with producers, like Marvin, and paying a fair price, higher than the market price, for the coffee.