CARBON NEUTRAL
We offset any carbon emission from this already low energy production process.
• Production of these mailers is solar-powered and uses no water, acids or bleaches. It's also 'zero waste' because all off-cuts can be put 'back in to the pot' and recycled.
Marago-Pache Variety Garden - Edwin Martinez, Guatemala
Marago-Pache Variety Garden - Edwin Martinez, Guatemala
Tastes like: Tropical fruits, pineapple, nectarine, honey
Medium-light
Seed Dried (Washed)
Lively and Modern
Regular price
$18.20 USD
Regular price
Sale price
$18.20 USD
Unit price
per
Shipping calculated at checkout.
- Farmer Equity: 50% of retail price = $9.00 /125g - $15 /lb
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2024 is the 20th anniversary of us working with Edwin Martinez at Finca Vista Hermosa in Huehuetenango, Guatemala.
20 years ago in 2004 we got an innocuous little postcard in the mail. It was a postcard talking about a small coffee farm in the highlands of Huehuetenango, Guatemala. We liked the story and felt the heart of the people behind the story shining through. Through several crazy steps we ended up buying all three bags of coffee direct from Edwin Marrtinez. It was the entire coffee harvest he had smuggled into the US at the time in his suitcases.
So began a wonderful 20 year relationship that changed all of our lives. We showcased dozens and dozens of Edwin's stellar coffees over the ensuing decades. Edwin went on to build upon his success and started a boutique green coffee exporter and importer called Onyx Coffee. They focus exclusively on coffees from Huehuetenago, Guatemala and surrounding regions. They work directly with all their producers and bring the flavors of Guatemala all over the world.
for our 20th Anniversary Edwin decided to surprise us with a ridiculous and wonderful surprise.
For many years the team at FVH has nurtured a variety garden on the farm. To test a wide variety of coffee cultivars and ascertain their viability, flavors and attributes as grown on the unique microbiome of FVH. Currently they have 18 cultivars under cultivation in the variety garden. For this anniversary celebration Edwin had his team hand pick, hand process, and then hand wet and dry mill some of these varieties for Torque Coffee. Some ended up being less than 1 pound green, some ended up being almost 50lbs green. But all received the same mindful care and attention.
For this Once Upon A Time Rare Drop for Crema.co we chose two of these incredibly rare, hand processed varietals that represented the most interesting varieties that we feel have both amazing flavors and strong future potential to thrive at the farm. Coffees that tasted amazing but that also can grow and thrive amazingly at the farm in the face of relentless climate change.
Once Upon A Time rare drop
- Marago-Pache - an ultra rare cultivar of Maragoype and Pache
- Tropical fruits, pineapple, nectarine, honey.
COFFEEREVIEW.com just scored it a 91 points!
their tasting notes:
Crisp, sweet, delicate. Fir, cocoa, macadamia, jasmine, lemon in aroma and cup. Sweetly bright and high-toned in structure, silky mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a quiet finish.
Country: Guatemala
Region: Huehuetenango
Farm: Finca Vista Hermosa
Varietal: Marago-Pache from the variety garden
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1,750 MASL
Exporter: Onyx Coffee
Importer: Onyx Coffee
SCA Quality Score: 91.25
Brew Parameters
Espresso Parameters
Financial Transparency
Proportional Pricing
Out of the $400 billion coffee industry, a meager 5% stays where it's grown, leaving farmers with crumbs. At Torque, we're rewriting this injustice. Our radical approach ensures equity for coffee producers, shifting power dynamics.
Here's the game-changer: Coffee producers were pre-paid a guaranteed 20% upfront based on the retail price of their coffee. Simple. Transparent. Fair. We call it Proportional Pricing©. Pay more, they earn more. This reshapes the value equation.
No more opaque systems. No more exploitation. We start with the value you see on the shelf, ensuring 20% flows back to the hands that cultivate your cup. It's called Proportional Pricing©, a seismic shift in coffee's worth chain. It's farmer equity, pure and simple.
We're breaking norms, building a fairer future. Torque Coffees reverse-engineered the chain, advocating for a balanced, equitable industry. It's time to empower those who make your coffee. Together, let's dismantle inequality in the coffee world.
Sustainability Info
Since we are all on the consumption end of things we can never get to carbon neutral without stealing the carbon positive from coffee farmers. So instead of aiming for a negative, we are striving to destroy less and be as carbon beautiful as we can.
The Torque Coffee Bag
100% Plastic Free
100% Compostable & Biodegradable
100% Plant Based
We have partnered with Better Packing Co to be even more carbon Beautiful!
Every order is packed loving in either:
the brilliant ZeroPack mailer Made mostly from limestone quarry waste and a minimal amount of recycled resin as a binding agent.
YES THESE bags are made of freaking limestone!
The Zero Pack is a truly remarkable process!
For larger multi bag orders and for wholesale orders we use the equally brilliant
BAMBOO Box!
These boxes are made mostly from bamboo (and some recycled wood pulp). They are just the thing to ship precious goods in. Curbside recyclable, reusable (at least a couple of times) and compostable.
Unbleached, FSC certified Bamboo (2/3) and recycled wood pulp (1/3).
• Water-based printing ink.
Let customers speak for us
Great flavor and smooth
Fantastic coffee! Rivals an expensive Gesha!
Highly recommended!
David Hornick
Once Upon A Time- BERNADINA from Maria Pacas
The best beans
10/10
I've been using these beans for over 6 months. Love all the notes
Colin de Mello
Honey Drop
Balanced sweet
I primarily make espresso and long blacks. This coffee stands out as sweet and balanced. Easy to dial in for a lighter single origin. Overall it’s a very nice coffee that shows it’s been cared for every step along its path to me.
Grant Glidewell
Edwin's Reserve - Edwin Martinez, Guatemala
La Perla Negra Black Honey - Costa Rica
Just WOW! I’ve tried a lot of Torque Coffees, and other coffee brands, and La Perla Negra Black Honey is by far the best! I don’t know how this bean hasn’t won a ton of awards, it’s so freaking good! The aroma and taste are unique, complex, delicious, and addictive!
William Thomas
Torque Coffees
La Perla Negra Black Honey is amazing. It’s what you’ve been looking for. The sweet fruit aromas and flavors stand out the most! It’s unlike any coffee I’ve ever tried before. It’s definitely in its own lane. If you’re looking for something different and amazing, this is it!
William Thomas
Las Lajas, Perla Negra Honey - Costa Rica
Finca Vista Hermosa
A beautifully balanced coffee with layers of chocolatey goodness, gentle in yielding its gifts, a perfect dollop of fruity acidity, I could drink this every day.
Preparation: Pour over with Hario Switch. First 2 pours at 199 F; third pour immerse for 45 secs at 160 F. Enjoy.
Elliot Brown
Edwin's Reserve - Edwin Martinez, Guatemala
Too soon
I hate getting pressured to review after a week! Haven’t even tried both roasts yet. So this is the review I’ll give you. The coffee is expensive! I don’t really mind except that ideally I would want a little more for 20 bucks. As for quality yes it good coffee, I’d say first impressions great coffee buuuuut the Colombian finca vista is definitely not as good as stumptown’s El Jorden which is a good baseline for Colombian single origin (in my awesome opinion of course). itoo soon to give a real review. Need more time and a free bag! lol 5 stars for sure. Also best packaging I’ve seen. Makes you really wonder if a small business like Torque uses such sustainable packaging then why hasn’t Amazon/Target/every corp adopted this as a standard……
that's my review and just like my observation
Man.
Michael Adams
Edwin's Reserve - Edwin Martinez, Guatemala
