Soul Glo

Soul Glo is the coffee that makes you wonder, why doesn't all coffee taste like this? Always made up of a process-forward coffee, it's surprisingly fruity and chocolatey character breaks from away from the conventional cup.

The Cafe Colis Resistencia group is a loosely formed group of Indigenous Xinka growers that live around the towns of Mataquescuintla, Casillas, and Nueva Santa Rosa in Jalapa, Guatemala. Coffee is a prime economic driver in this area, however the vast majority of smallholders here sell their coffee in cherry to intermediaries who process it for further sale, leaving them without the cash to maintain and invest in their farms.

The Xinka's peaceful resistance to El Escobal silver mine (built without their prior, informed consent as dictated by internatioal law) brought them international media attention and for Semilla, brought us the opportunity to begin supporting this group as they began transitioning towards processing and drying their coffees for international export. The Xinka have achieved historic firsts for Indigeous people both in Guatemala and beyond, and their continued, principled struggle as land defenders is an inspiration to us.

Allan and his father Fernando manage one of the larger farms in the group, north of the town of Casillas. Situated at 1850 metres above sea level, their lush and verdant farm shows none of the harsh effects of climate changed heat that brings brutal drought to this area of Guatemala, part of Cental America's dry corridor. Here, Fernando and Allan process their coffee on a traditional concrete patio, covering the cherries at night to protect them from the humidity and taking advantage of the direct sunlight but lowered temperatures to achieve a long slow drying period that enhances complexity.

Traditionally, Fernando and Allan delivered their coffees to local cooperatives but over the years they have come to deliver the vast majority of their coffee to Semilla, seeking the higher prices in a long term relationship.

While washed coffees are often considered the most desireable coffees for the specialty coffee market, the reality is that drought afflicted regions like Jalapa and much of Central America, these profiles require a staggering amount of water. In such times of drought, these means that growers are forced to pay for water and the transport to get it to their farms. These kinds of costs taken with lowered productions due to the effects of climate change induced disease, makes the prospect of ever profiting off coffee production very slim. Natural process coffees avoid this burden entirely, as the cherries are picked, hand selected, and dried whole, allowing for minimal water usage.

Our experience of this coffee is a deep, round, and rich, like dark chocolate covered berries.