Classic, clean, balanced, delicious

Brown Sugar, Red Apple, Milk Chocolate

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We selected this coffee for its balance and clean, classic profile. La Cascada features beautiful, full coffee notes: brown sugar, nougat, milk chocolate along with a pleasant red apple, or malic acidity. At warmer temperatures cups of this coffee features chocolate and sugar notes. As the cup cools red apple and slightly herbaceous cola notes come through.

Producer notes:

Black Oak Coffee has featured coffee from Hacienda La Cascada ("The Waterfall Estate") for three years. La Cascada is named after the falls on Horst Spitzke’s Flor de Rosario coffee farm in the Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala. Spitzke, who is pushing 80 years old, purchased his farm in 1988 and has been growing exceptional coffee there for the last 30 years. The Alta Verapaz region has an interesting history in the push and pull of colonial, religious, and native influences throughout Guatemalan history.

This resource-rich, mountainous region was named Verapaz, or "True Peace.” Perhaps this was with wishful thinking in mind as many groups struggled to gain control of their lands over time. Starting in the 19th century, German colonists bought coffee plantations and built a railroad to export goods from the region. This quickly led to an increase in Verapaz’s global reputation for quality products. Upon the outbreak of World War II, under pressure from the United States government, Germans were expelled from Guatemala and ended up in Texas based internment camps. They were later traded to the German government for American POWs. Today La Cascada is still owned and operated by Spitzke, a native German. This represents a small historical redemption for a coffee region whose history was tied to those original settlers.

Varietals: Bourbon and Catuai

Processing method: Washed

Size: 12oz

Roast level: Light/Medium

Brew Notes: This coffee produces great cups with a wide range of brew techniques. We recommend using a 1:15 brew ratio and steeping with 205℉ water for no more than three and a half minutes.

Test Collection