Guatemala Blue Ayarza Carbonic Maseration *TOP LOT*

This Blue Ayarza Carbonic Maceration lot follows a process borrowed from wine production, where the cherries spend 40 hours fermenting anaerobically. Then they are sun-dried on the patio for between oneand two weeks.

Laguna de Ayarza (Lake Ayarza) is a crater lake in the Santa Rosa department of Guatemala. It is known locally as Laguna Azul (Blue Lake). Lake Ayarza was formed around 20,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption. The lake has a surface area of 14km² and is located at 1,400masl. According to local legend, the true nature of the lake is far more mysterious. Some say it is connected to ocean, the actual depth is unknown and that an expedition to find the bottom ended in tragic failure. We do know Lake Ayarza is in a remote location and access is difficult. This means it has remained in pristine condition with only around 10 houses built around its edge. The lake is only 30 minutes from the Olam’s Cherry mill and is a must-see after visiting our facility. Olam buys coffee from more than 1000 small producers in the area. Some bring full truckloads of cherries; others arrive with a single sack on the back of a donkey.

WHY AYARZA?
Olam invested in Ayarza because of the opportunity to buy cherries directly from smallholders who live in the mountains around the lake. We did a trial in 2017 and were surprised by the
quality of the cherries in the region. We began full operation in 2018. For the 2019-20 crop we increased the capacity of the mill by almost 50%. The mill has delivered consistent quality year on year with many Specialty lots.