Irene took over the running of Finca Talquezalar in 2020 after the passing of her husband Alfonso. Her farm is located in the north-west of the country, bordering Honduras in a mountainous area with lush volcanic soils. The farm was named by her father-in-law, to honor his maternal village, and has been productive for over 40 years. ‘Talquezalar’ in the local Nahuatl language means ‘sweet grass’, a type of grass that thrives in a tropical climate and is known for its medicinal properties as well as its delicate fragrance.

Before taking over, she used to say to her husband “why don’t we sell the farm? It only generates losses.” Alfonso, her late husband, invested a lot of resources, time, faith, and effort to continue his family legacy. Over time, Irene’s feeling about the farm have changed and now, she cannot even think about the idea of selling the land.

As the new farm manager, she proudly continues to produce some of the finest coff­ees from the region, with her daughters Tamara and Paola. For Irene, her motivation to work with specialty co­ffee, with its extra care and investment, comes from a personal love of coffee, and pride in the abilities of her own farm and those of her neighbours. Her longterm goals are to build a legacy for her daughters, and to create jobs and better incomes for farmworkers and nearby communities.  

  Caravan Coffee Roasters are proud members of 1% for the Planet. For more information please visit https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org

BREWING GUIDE  

Profiled on our Loring Peregrine S70 roaster for sweetness and balance, this coffee is great drunk both black and with milk. We recommend a starting ratio of 60g per litre water used, adjusted for size. We particularly enjoy this coffee on a French Press, where a slight updose to 62g per litre brings the milk chocolate sweetness to the fore.