Wicho Valdés
We are so glad to once again feature Wicho Valdés as part of our Prime series. This year’s lot is something truly special – a washed SL28, a variety more commonly linked to Kenya, here showing its vibrant potential in the cool and rainy highlands of Cobán.
With the combination of a celebrated producer, a rare variety, and careful processing, this coffee is a perfect example of why Wicho Valdés is one of Guatemala’s most respected farmers – and why his coffees continue to inspire us year after year. The result is a bright and refined cup with flavours of blood orange, ripe gooseberry, and soft milk chocolate.
COFFEE FACTS
Producer: Wicho Valdés
Origin: Cobán, Guatemala
Farm: Santa Isabel
Altitude: 1400 m.a.s.l.
Variety: SL28
Process: Washed
Flavours: Bright and refined with flavours of blood orange, ripe gooseberry and sweet milk chocolate
WICHO VALDÉS
Wicho grew up helping his father on the farm and fell in love with coffee at an early age. After completing agronomy studies, he returned to coffee in 1998 to lead Santa Isabel into a new era. Today, he and his wife are raising three children who already spend their weekends and holidays on the farm – a new generation who, like Wicho, hopefully will discover a lifelong passion for coffee.
The Valdés family is deeply committed to the environment. Nearly a third of the land is preserved forest with cedar, pine and mahogany trees that protect water resources and encourage biodiversity. The remaining area is dedicated to coffee, grown under shade trees that improve soil quality and balance the ecosystem. Careful pruning methods ensure ventilation and light, lowering the risk of coffee leaf rust and reducing the need for treatments.
Since 2021, Wicho has steered his farms towards more natural, regenerative practices. In a small on-farm lab, he produces natural solutions that strengthen the coffee trees, eliminating the need for pesticides and cutting fungicide use by half. The results speak for themselves – in 2024, only 10% of the trees showed signs of coffee leaf rust, down from 30% the year before.
Processing is handled with the same precision. After harvest, cherries are pulped and fermented for up to 14 hours, then washed and soaked in clean water for 24 hours. The beans are first dried outdoors in the sun before being moved to greenhouses, where they rest on raised beds for 15–30 days. This careful, step-by-step approach ensures the clarity, balance and sweetness that make Wicho’s coffees so outstanding.
This coffee is a part of our Prime series, and is the top tier of specialty coffee. These coffees are of unmatched quality and flavour and drinking them is an experience itself. Sourced only 3-4 times a year, our Prime coffees are extremely limited and highly coveted, with only around 200 bags available of each.
These coffees are often of exclusive and rare varieties and produced using modern and innovative methods. For those seeking the ultimate coffee experience, our Prime series is sure to satisfy even the most refined palates.
We have four different coffee series. From House where the flavors are more family, to Prime that offers the absolute top of special coffee quality.
House is the foundation we stand on and here we offer specialty coffee From some of the 15 producers we work closely. Everyone is among the best in the world. Each coffee in the series has its unique mix and taste profile. Thanks to the width of the series, we dare say that there is a taste for (almost) everyone. We vary origin and recipes to follow the harvest periods that vary during the year between different parts of the world. This way we make sure that the coffee is always fresh, the flavors the same and your cup really good. In this series you will find several different espresso and brew coffee. Whole beans and ground.
Flavours Is all about lifting the natural flavors in every coffee. The contents of the bag change in line with the harvest periods that vary during the year in different parts of the world. Most coffee is single Origin, but sometimes we can feel that a mixture is what is best in line with the coffee's taste profile. Flavours is perfect for those who are looking for an exceptional cup. A cup that really accentuates the unique taste and character of the coffee.
Farmers is a tribute to the skilled and dedicated producers. With most people we have long and close relationships. We buy limited quantities of specific tickets that distinguished themselves in our tastings. It may be the variety, or a specific part of the farm that really got the best in the coffee. The flavors of these coffee are often sweet and floral with hints of fruit or berries. They broaden the views about how coffee can taste. It is with pride that we highlight our producers and their fantastic crafts.
In the series Prime we offer the spearhead of specialty coffee. The quality and taste is unbeatable and it is often an experience in itself to drink one of these coffee. We release them only 3-4 times a year, making the coffee in the series extremely rare and very sought after. We only have around 200 bags at a time! These coffee is often of an exclusive variety, produced by modern and innovative methods. For those looking for the ultimate coffee experience, we dare to guarantee that the Prime series will satisfy even the most sophisticated taste preferences.
We specialize in specialty coffee, which means that all the coffee we purchase scores at least 80 points on a 100-point scale – a grading system established by the international coffee organization SCA.
We hold high standards for the producers we work with, both in terms of sustainability and quality. Both aspects demand more and come at a cost, which we gladly pay. The right price is worth every cent!
10 years or more – that's how long we have been working with several of our producers. Simply because they are the best, and we know and trust each other. When we begin new collaborations, which also happens from time to time, we do so with the intention of celebrating 10 years and beyond with them as well. Our close and longstanding relationships are built on a shared philosophy and a desire to improve the conditions for coffee farmers worldwide. Through sustainability and quality!
