Wicho Valdés
This year’s Prime from Wicho Valdés is a washed Geisha that reveals an unexpected side of one of the coffee world’s most celebrated varieties. Elegant and complex with green apple, orange blossom and black currant leaf.
Wicho grew up helping his father on the family coffee farm and fell in love with coffee at an early age. After studying agronomy, he returned in 1998 to lead Santa Isabel into a new era. Today, he continues to run the farms with his family, and his three children already spend their weekends and school holidays among the coffee trees.
The coffee comes from Santa Isabel in the cool and rainy highlands of Cobán, where it grows at 1,400 metres above sea level. This is not the bold, jasmine-heavy floral character often associated with Geisha. The expression is more subtle and focused, with a complexity that unfolds with every sip. After harvest, the coffee is pulped, fermented and washed before being slowly dried, first outdoors in the sun and then on raised beds inside well-ventilated greenhouses.
The Valdés family has a strong commitment to nature. Nearly a third of their land is preserved forest that protects water resources and supports biodiversity. The coffee grows beneath shade trees that improve the soil and maintain balance in the ecosystem. Since 2021, Wicho has also been working with more natural and regenerative methods, including developing his own solutions to strengthen the coffee trees and reduce the need for treatments.
We are proud to once again feature Wicho Valdés in our Prime series. The combination of an exceptional variety, a skilled producer and a completely unexpected expression makes this a coffee that continues to surprise us.
Coffee Facts
Producer: Wicho Valdés
Origin: Cobán, Guatemala
Farm: Santa Isabel
Altitude: 1,400 m.a.s.l.
Variety: Geisha
Process: Washed
Flavours: Elegant and complex with green apple, orange blossom and black currant leaf
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!