ONYX - Finca Cuxinales Anaerobic | Guatemala - Anaerobic Natural - Pacamara

ONYX Coffee Lab is located in Rogers, United State

From ONYX

This anaerobic-natural processed microlot was grown in beaituful Antigua and produced by the Echeverría family. With dense intercropping of native trees, Finca Cuxinales maintains a thriving ecosystem of birds and insects where coffee thrives. Alongside a harmonious agricultural approach, the family processes coffees anaerobically the the specification of our friend Raulito, bringing forward notes of ripe pineapple and blackberries in the cup.

With more than 80 years of history, Finca Los Cuxinales is deeply rooted in the Antigua Valley, framed by the slopes of Volcán de Agua. Over the decades, the farm has developed a reputation for both its resilience and its harmony with the surrounding landscape. Its name comes from the Cuxín tree, a native species that has long been part of the farm’s identity. The trees provide shade for coffee cultivation, enrich the soil with nitrogen, and create a habitat for a diverse range of birds and insects. This balance of shade and biodiversity fosters the development of sweet, dense coffee cherries, qualities that have become synonymous with the coffees of Los Cuxinales.

Today, producers Juan José Falla and Pedro Echeverría Falla continue to steward this legacy. They cultivate Yellow and Red Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Pache, and Pacamara varieties, handpicking only the ripest cherries and carefully processing them to preserve the farm’s hallmark quality. Beyond coffee, the farm also grows raspberries and macadamia nuts, reflecting its long-standing tradition of diversified agriculture. In every harvest, Los Cuxinales represents the intersection of history, ecology, and craftsmanship, a living example of how thoughtful cultivation yields coffees of exceptional character. We have partnered with them for three years through the work of Raul Rhodas, and enjoy their coffees for the winey characteristics and progressive views on processing while maintaining a commitment to thoughtful agriculture.

ANAEROBIC PROCESSING
There are few leaps in the technique of processing coffee larger than the most recent trend of Anaerobic processing. This is oftentimes a technique of natural processing coffee, where whole cherries are fermented in a limited oxygen environment. The word Anaerobic is a catch-all term used more often than not to refer to a limited oxygen environment. Coffee cherries are subject to a pre-fermentation before they are moved to a drying bed or patio. The extended fermentation often adds a winey or fruity note to the coffee. Throughout the world, we’ve seen this practiced in many ways, from adding cherries into a clean grainpro and tying the top for the night, all the way to stainless tanks with an airlock on the top to slowly let out carbon dioxide caused by the microbes at work. There are many who are working to understand and better control this process to gain clarity on what is really going on with limited oxygen fermentation.