Guatemala
Rio Dorado

Washed + anaerobic process Gesha

Flavour: jelly bean, guava, blueberry

Body: Acidity:

Roast: omni (filter + espresso)

Very Special

Here’s what makes Rio Dorado’s coffee Very Special amongst our lineup.

Award-Winning Farm: Since its founding in 2004, the farm has strived for quality, with several Cup of Excellence and regional competition-winning lots. It’s their goal to continue producing the highest quality coffees and standing out in the market.
Gesha Varietal: This notorious varietal always commands a high price on the market. This is due to it been difficult to farm, but also because the end cup often has a complex variety of floral and fruity flavours.
Anaerobic Washed Process: Flavour is intensified when the freshly-harvested cherries are placed inside a sealed container or bag of some sort for a period of time. We find the fruit and acidity notes are intensified, and the body is increased.

Finca Rio Dorado

Finca Rio Dorado is a 20-hectare coffee farm located in Mataquescuintla in the Oriente coffee-growing region of Guatemala. The farm grows Gesha, Pacamara, Catuai, Pache, and Bourbon varieties under the shade of pines, cypress, and oak trees. They practice a wide range of processes, including washed, natural, and honey as well as anaerobic, prolonged fermentation, and carbonic maceration.

A farmer on Rio Dorado

Washed process in Guatemala

The Washed process varies greatly across the growing regions of Guatemala due in large part to the different terroir and terrain that exists from place to place there, but for the most part the primary difference in style is in the length of time that the coffee is allowe to ferment. Generally speaking, coffee is picked ripe and depulped the same or the following day, then allowed to ferment for anywhere between 12–48 hours, depending on the climate. The coffee is then washed clean of its mucilage and spread on patios or raised beds to dry.

Oriente Region

Coffee has been grown in Oriente since the 1950s. Once the poorest region in the country, Oriente has grown into a large coffee producing region for Guatemala. The mountain range, once volcanic, is overcast and rainy with temperate weather and balanced soil. The region is typically the warmest, but at high elevations where small producers operate, the nights are quite cool.

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Ethical, traceable sourcing

This page has all the sourcing information (variety, process, region, story, importer, and more) that our importers share with us, and give us permission to use.

The transparency helps us talk confidently about the quality and background of our product, and it helps you know exactly what you’re buying.

Learn more:
Coffee page transparency legend
Our coffee philosophy
Our business approach

Fresh harvest coffee

We only source and roast coffee from each country’s latest harvest season (so the green coffee is never older than 1 year from the time of picking, processing and packing). This ensures the sensory qualities are always at their peak and unaffected by excessive ageing.

Roasted for espresso and filter (best enjoyed black)

Roast style: omni. Omni roasts are designed to brew and taste great both as espresso and filter. Our omni single origins generally sit on Agtron values in the ~70-60 value range. So, technically, they are somewhere in the lighter side of the medium spectrum.

Designed for espresso and filter brewing. Best enjoyed black.

Learn more:
Our Loring Kestrel S35 roaster
Our roasting style and approach

Best brewed within days 15-49 post-roast

The ‘fresh is best’ saying doesn’t apply to coffee (contrary to popular belief). Waiting before opening and brewing your bag of whole coffee beans helps develop peak flavour and acidity.

But heads up: if you buy pre-ground coffee, brew it as soon as possible.

Learn more:
Our recommended brewing window

Try our custom brewing recipes

Our recipes and ratios are tailored to our coffee sourcing and roasting styles, bringing the best flavour and feel out of each coffee.

For pour over, immersion, and other filter brewing styles, check our brew guides.
For our espresso single origins, we recommend a coffee:yield ratio of 1:3:

Dose: 20g ground coffee
Yield: 60g espresso
Total brew time: ~24-28 seconds

This is just a starting point! We encourage you to experiment, taste, and adjust to find the recipe that you enjoy the most.

Learn more:
Our espresso brew guide (single origin)
Brewing ratio calculator

Packaging and sustainability

Bags: ABA-certified home compostable (AS 5810-2010)
Labels: recyclable
Valves (only on +250g bags): general waste
Box and tape (online orders): recyclable

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Our packaging

Farm/Coop: Finca Rio Dorado
Country: Guatemala
Region: Mataquescuintla, Oriente
Altitude: 1800m above sea level
Variety: Gesha
Process: washed + anaerobic
Harvested: April 2025
Importer: Cafe Imports
Body
Acidity
Tasting notes: Jelly bean, guava, blueberry
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Variety

Gesha variety

An exceptionally high quality variety that has grown in popularity, Gesha is named after the town of Gesha in Ethiopia where the seeds originated.

The location

Coffee from Guatemala

Guatemala’s production of coffee first grew in the 1860s on the back of a declining indigo trade, which had previously existed as it’s main export. Up until 2011 Guatemala was in the top 5 highest producing coffees nations in the world, before being overtaken by Honduras.

Farm processes

Washed + Anaerobic process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.