Guatemala Red Bourbon

About This Coffee

We met producers David and Lilly Rodriguez of Finca Santa Marta at this year’s SCA (Specialty Coffee Association’s annual expo), and it was as if fate brought us together. As the story goes, in the early stages of planning for SCA, the couple was hesitant to travel, explaining the trip was a bit of a stretch for them. Ultimately, they decided to go. Co-founder of Big Island Coffee, Brandon Damitz, and David met in a cupping room and hit it off immediately. As David put it, "I went here to find you!" Fast-forward to today; we're now their largest client, buying ~50% of their annual crop. With the sales proceeds from this year, they're expanding their operations and building a new wet mill. One of the highest priorities in the relationships we establish with producers is buying directly from them. In Hawai’i, forming these relationships has become relatively straightforward, considering the proximity of the farms we work with are in Hawai’i. Chance meetings like the one Brandon and David had at SCA allow for new roaster-farmer relationships. A direct trade model lays the groundwork for everything else we value in the supply chain: quality, consistency, transparency, better pay to farmers, and generally better lives for farmers and their communities.The best part? It gives us the great pleasure of bringing our customers remarkable coffees like the Red Bourbon from David and Lilly’s farm, Finca Santa Marta.