Dilla Alghe Washed

This unique limited offering opens with aromas of macadamia, navel orange, and black tea. The body is crisp, with notes of milk chocolate, macadamia, and golden kiwi alongside green grape acidity. Snickerdoodle and eucalyptus notes linger in the finish.

Our roast of the previous harvest received 93 Points from Coffee Review in Feb. 2025!

Details

Producer: Nando Diaz Farm: Finca Santa Ana Region: Santa Rosa Department Altitude: 1,650-1,800 MASL Varietal: Dilla Alghe Process: Washed Roast: Light Notes: Macadamia, Green Grape, Black Tea

The Story

This wild Ethiopian varietal was discovered close to the southwestern town of Dilla Alghe. The tall tree has wide branch spacing and wide branch-bud spacing. Young leaves and leaf tips are reddish in color. Its yield is poor and it is susceptible to diseases. Nevertheless, Nando Diaz has found success growing the uncommon variety in Guatemala, and it's a real standout—crisp-bodied with layers of flavor.

Our green coffee buyers first cupped Dilla Alghe at Santa Ana in 2020. It was their favorite from the table of exotic varietals pulled from Nando's "garden"—a small, flat section of the farm near the house where he experiments with 20+ unique varietals. After the positive cupping results, Nando planted about a hectare of Dilla Alghe (~5,000 plants). The 2024 harvest produced a handful of bags. Nando hopes that the lot will eventually produce around 12-15 bags.

This is a traditional washed process where the harvested cherries spend one day in a receiving tank, are then depulped and fermented for about 48 hours before being washed and dried. In 2024, Nando added a second, larger raised bed greenhouse off of the patio for more controlled drying.

Direct Trade

Fernando Diaz was a longtime Direct Trade partner of our sister company, Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, before we began offering his coffees in 2020. Finca Santa Ana has had multiple Cup of Excellence appearances, including #4 in 2010 and #16 in 2015. The carefully supervised quality control at the farm is evident in the cup.

Finca Santa Ana has partnered with local organizations to invest in the community of Pueblo Nuevo de Viñas, including improving the fiscal infrastructure of the pre-school, elementary school, and the county health center building and maternity room. The farm also provides a "coffee Kindergarten" during harvest season—a certified day care dedicated to the children of the temporary employees on the farm.

As part of our Direct Trade buying philosophy at PT's and Bird Rock, we always look for ways to invest in our farming partners in addition to paying a good price for the coffee. In 2015 Bird Rock shared an investment with Fernando to plant new seed stock at the farm with about 15 new varietals, including Mokka and Gesha. These shrubs will give Finca Santa Ana more varietals to sell to specialty roasters and add another dimension to this already great farm.

Produced by Nando Diaz in the Santa Rosa Department of Guatemala, this Dilla Alghe lot represents a unique intersection of varietal and origin. While the Dilla Alghe cultivar is often associated with specific regional profiles, its cultivation here at 1650-1800 masl highlights the diverse potential of the Santa Rosa landscape. Expertly prepared by PT's Coffee Roasting, the coffee undergoes a washed process, a method typically employed to emphasize clarity and acidity in the cup.

In the sensory experience, this coffee presents a distinct profile of macadamia, green grape, and black tea. When evaluating such specific characteristics, it is helpful to consult a flavor wheel to better understand how these nuanced notes interact. Washed coffees are generally celebrated for their ability to showcase the inherent qualities of the bean, often resulting in a clean, tea-like finish that allows the delicate fruit and nut undertones to remain prominent throughout the brewing process.