We were recently browsing through our blog and realized that we had never written a post about Finca La Unión, which we are featuring as our January 2022 Featured Subscription Coffee. (Want to get a subscription? Sign up here!) This is a massive shame since Finca La Unión has been around the Mission universe for the past few years. It is about time that we take the time to appreciate this super approachable and delicious coffee.

We first learned about Finca La Unión while cupping through coffees (industry lingo for tasting coffee...) from Yepocapa Coffee, and small importer focused on small scale farms in Guatemala. From that set of coffees, we tasted coffees that included one from Finca La Unión. We ended up picking a coffee from a different farm, but we noted the character of the lot from Finca La Unión – it was bright and clean.

Cupping at Mission Coffee.

The next year, we got reacquainted with our friends at San Miguel Coffees. They are a coffee mill and exporter found in Antigua, Guatemala. They are focused on giving support, exposure, and better prices to small holder farmers who might not have the ability to do everything (mill/process/market) themselves. They also own and run two killer farms: San Sebastian and El Tempixque (you may see one of those in our line later this year). They sent us a whole kit of coffees to cup from various farms they are working with. While we were cupping, we picked out three lots that had this delicious bright character and overall sweet body. Flip the cards over (because we taste them blindly) and sure enough, we pick out three coffees from Finca La Unión. Consider it fate. We snatched one of their lots up and first brought to Mission in 2020. We’ve grabbed a lot from them every year since.

Drying patios at San Miguel Coffee. Yep, he has three bags of coffee on his back. We're still in awe. 

Finca La Unión is found just north of the Acatenango volcano in Chimaltenango. The Higueros family has owned and ran the farm since the 1950s; Cesar Higueros currently manages the farm. La Unión has a strong focus on new and experimental sustainable practices. In fact, he is working closely with Anacafe to try new reseeding projects and organic fertilizer development. The farm grows several different varieties, but primarily Caturra and Bourbon. In addition to the farm, the family also runs a wet processing mill and a small coffee roastery (the coffee is dry milled at San Miguel Coffee).

  Cesar Higueros of Finca La Unión. Photo Credit: Finca La Unión

We love Guatemala coffees like this lot because of its approachable character while still having some unique tasting notes. We picked this lot out because it had a highly sweet and round caramel and cocoa-type body, but still sang with crisp notes of acidity (which is a credit to quality farming and processing). We taste subtle notes of florals, white wine, and grapefruit once the coffee cools down a bit. You might enjoy this one if you’re looking for an alternative to a “breakfast blend” type coffee; or if you just appreciate solid single farm lots.

Drying Patios at Finca La Unión. Photo credit to Finca La Unión

And, as we write this, we are already working on Guatemala coffees for 2022 (it is January right now, which is the middle of their harvest season). We are excited to see what Finca La Unión’s coffees are like this coming season! We have about one green bag left, so snag it while you can!