Alta Verapaz, Guatemala

— Guatemala can be considered as the modern cradle of ceremonial cacao, with traditions and know-how emerging from Mayan roots.

Alta Verapaz is a potent cacao.
Its light color which stands out among other cacaos is probably due to the high percentage of a Criollo variety present in the mix of beans. Those are well known for being white on the inside, compared to “not native” varieties. This is often a quality mark as native varieties are more potent and flavorful than generics or hybrids.

Discover its terroir below, and go through our tasting notes and effects feedback to learn more about this beautiful cacao!

Cacao Guide

Pure Kakaw

"Cacao is always about connection and with this one, I feel a particular depth to it."

N.B. : This article contains an affiliate link and a 10% discount code available on a first purchase. These advantages are here to compensate the time and work we put in our project. Yet, we’re dedicated to staying objective in our analyses.
Enjoy them if you want to try new cacaos while supporting us 🙂

Terroir

ORIGIN COUNTRY

GUATEMALA

REGION

VALLE DEL POLOCHIC, ALTA VERAPAZ

FARM

FINCA EL PORVENIR – SINGLE FARM

HARVEST YEAR

2021

BEANS VARIETY

MIX – GUATEMALAN CRIOLLO + OTHER VARIETIES

STORY & INFORMATION

Cacao beans used in the making of Pure Kakaw’s Alta Verapaz are grown in an organic food forest. Farmers there are working according to the principles of regenerative agroforestry, which goes beyond organic certification standards.

The farm named El Porvenir is bordering the natural reserve Sierra de las Minas and the nutritious Polonchic Valley.

Absolute care is given to this cacao.

Beans are selected/toasted/peeled by hand.

Toasting is performed on a traditional clay comal. They’re then stone-ground. The whole is minimally processed in order to preserve the nutrients.

Capture d’écran 2022-10-12 à 20.08.04-16

Details

IN HANDS

COLOR – Light Brown
DENSITY – Dry, crumbs
SMELL – Hazelnut, woody
SHAPE – Flakes

IN CUPS

COLOR – Brown
DENSITY – Quite thick & then becomes heterogeneous with a residue
SMELL – Chocolaty first, spicy note of cinnamon, yellow fruits
FOAM – Thick, deep brown

Tasting notes

Aromas:

Light notes of coffee, becomes nutty, followed by a slight bitterness.

Mouthfeel:
Goes from cappucino to Americano.

Remarks:

Grasping this cacao’s aromas was a tricky one.

One reason for it could be the apparent dryness of the cacao, due to a low fat level in the beans. Fat acts as a vehicle for aromas.

This same dryness might be originating a tendency for Alta Verapaz to form a residue. It doesn’t mix perfectly well with water and becomes heterogeneous, causing a loss of aromas that will stay in it. It’s definitely recommended to spoon it out as it’s delicious and holds an important part of the nutrients you don’t want to miss.

Effects experienced

→ Outward | Active | Joyful

Alta Verapaz is gently exhilarating.

The care given to it during its traditionnal preparation might have something to do with its magic. The first clues of its effects happen quite quickly, after a 1/3 of a cup. We clearly noticed its mood enhancing effect.

It feels as if someone would’ve pulled the plug of our thoughts streams, only letting in what’s happening in the moment. We noticed creative thoughts coming up, mixed with hope and optimism.

This cacao makes us want to express ourselves. Whether it is through writing, sharing a deep conversation, or with music by playing an instrument for instance.

Cacao is always about connection and with this one, we feel a particular depth to it.

Romane and I drank it in many different situations and each and every time, we ended up feeling an intense connection. A few examlpes would be:

1. If we start a conversation that is work related, we would go into a very much detailed visualisation of what we want to achieve and how we see and understand things

2. If we start to talk about our relationship, it’d be a very vulnerable and honest path to navigate towards our memories and be grateful for what we built together.

And the list goes on.