Finca Gascón

About us?

Founded in 2012, to innovate in the world of specialty coffee and its different processes. Through conservative and sustainable practices we produce exotic and unique micro and nano lots. Hand in hand with innovation and bioprocesses, we enter a new sensory experience.

OUR HISTORY

Finca Gascón is a newly founded farm in the small town of San Juan Gascón, Antigua Guatemala. The story began when Gildardo Contreras (Father) lad the opportunity to acquire a piece of land near Antigua in 2012, then realized that the land was ideal for growing coffee (1800-2050 masl).

The coffee was planted for the first time in 2014 with a Bourbon 300 variety, then in 2016, it planted two hectares of Geisha with the implementation of a drip irrigation system. The first Geisha tasting was 88.5 points.

Then, in 2019, Felipe (son) began to implement new systems and standards in coffee production, always with an eye on the market and on the trends that the specialty coffee scene was asking for. It was then that for the first time I had an Introduction to production processes and models.

Our Mission

To be disruptive and innovative within the entire spectrum of specialty coffee production. From sowing to export. Always maintaining the profitability and sustainability of a business is a priority. And in this way position ourselves within the high-value coffee market (specialty) as a company committed to quality and sustainability.

Our Vision

It is the positioning of Finca Gascon as a unit that produces the best qualities on the market, taking into account a conservative and conscious agricultural production.

Values

Coffee is all about consistency and constancy. We provide the same flavor throughout the day and year after year. We strive to give our customers the same or better quality in every harvest.

Processes

It starts with an optimally ripe cherry that is picked by hand. Treated with great care and diligence during processing, fermentation, slow drying, grinding, and classification.

Nowadays Finca Gascon is all about processes and innovation, seeking to innovate in every step of the coffee. From its production in the field to its approach for the benefit and its form of commercialization. We understand that it is a long and complex road, but we are very excited about what the road holds for us.

Fermentation Processes

Washed

This is the world's most used process in coffee. In this process, the coffee is pulped, left to oxidize (fermenting) in piles for 48 hours, and then goes through a process of washing in a pile and running around.

This process seeks to highlight the original notes of the terroir and the variety that is being produced, normally offering a clearer and more delicate cup than the other processes.

Honey

In this process, the coffee normally goes through a cherry fermentation process prior to pulping, but this will depend of the result you are looking for. After its collection and fermentation process (or not), it is pulped and goes directly to the drying station, without going through any fermentation afterwards.

Due to its zero use of water and sweetness in the cup, it seems to us an extremely important process today, both at the origin and at the destination.

Natural

This is the oldest process of coffee processing. Since practically no machinery is needed in this drying process, It is how it was customary to dry coffee in its beginnings.

The methodology consists of drying the coffee cherries without pulping them in the sun, to produce a more fruity and sweet cup profile.

Magnos

In this line of coffee, we intend to have all our experimental and high specialty processes. Among them are bio innovation, lactic, anaerobic, culturing, and others.

Hand in hand with these coffees, we intend to penetrate the competition and high specialty market, obtaining scores of 87+ in the entire range of these cafes. We find new limits to the fermentations, and we play a little with its variables.

Production

Our agricultural production of coffee is based on three pillars: the soil, the quality of the cup in each different batch, and environmental awareness. We try to maintain a living ecosystem of production, based on regenerative practices that enhance life in such an ecosystem. A well-balanced soil will have better conditions for nutrient intake than a poorly managed soil and we have confirmed that by complying with a phytosanitary plan established throughout the year and taking care of the soil necessary, we can constantly improve the quality of our fruits. This way we are creating a resilient ecosystem of production.

Since we are in a boutique coffee segment, we must meet all the requirements that this market demands from producers, especially quality. And at Finca Gascon "we are all about quality", from planting to export. We keep extremely care detailed in every aspect of the production of our batches.

The new times are requiring changes in the way coffee is produced today. So Gascón built a biofabric in 2022. This goes hand in hand with the goal of sustainability and stability that we seek today. With this new infrastructure, we lower our inputs to the ecosystem and promote a more resilient production system.

Bourbon

It is known for its buttery, nutty flavor and smooth consistency. It is low acidity and medium body. But probably the most attractive thing about Bourbon coffee is that it is quite sweet compared to other varieties.

Geisha

This is a multifaceted cafe. Our competition coffee and the one that scores highest on the cupping tables. Depending on the process you can obtain very intense floral notes, such as jasmine and bergamot, and citrus notes such as orange peel.

Typica

It is a variety that produces notes of spices and flowers, and it has a clean and resonant acidity, which increases as the elevation increases. The aftertaste is sweet and the duration is intermediate. This variety is culturally very important because it was the first to be cultivated in Latin America in the eighteenth century.

Pacamara

With intense aromas, a medium body with a creamy texture, and moderate acidity with flavors that go from sweet notes of chocolate and butter to fruity nuances such as citrus fruits and red fruits.

Catuai

It is a high-performance plant, a type of coffee that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. with a fragrance floral and fruity with a sweet creamy body, citric acidity with a Kiwi flavor.