Less than 5km from the border of Nicaragua and Honduras, Los Suyates is located in dense countryside beside El Volcán, a small village above the town of Dipilto Viejo. Like Mario Gonzalez’s other farms, Los Suyates began as a timber plantation. When the laws regarding timber production changed in 2006, Mario and his family began diverting their attention from forestry to coffee production.
Walking through Los Suyates, it is very clear that the health of the land is respected. Native shade trees grow tall, the ground coverage is bright and productive, and despite being a coffee farm, coffee trees are not seen around every corner. This is intentional, as Don Mario is deliberately keeping parts of his land as natural as possible, allowing the ecosystem to continue to thrive itself. The shade trees help to reduce the temperature for coffee cherry maturation, which, in an ever climbing global temperature, is crucial for maintaining quality coffee.
Currently, Don Mario with the help of his grandson, Mario Gonzalez, are cultivating catuai, catimor, paraneima, obata and more at this farm. Often, these trees are harvested relatively late in the season, and this is due to the farms altitude, but also thanks to the shade trees allowing a slow cherry maturation.
The coffee grown at Los Suyates are processed using several techniques, including experimental processing method carbonic maceration. This is done to provide a greater range of expressions of each varietal, as well as achieve consistency from each harvest. Mario has also benefitted from the guidance of Bridazul, who have worked to encourage connection, community and information sharing across coffee producers in the Dipilto region, increasing quality and overall providing more for the local communities.
Cup of Excellence Achievements
| Year
|
Award / Placement
|
Variety & Process Profile
|
Highlight
|
| 2026
|
3rd Place
|
Natural Parainema
|
Score: 89.85 awarded under producer Leticia Milagros González Morazán.
|
| 2024
|
2nd Place
|
Natural Parainema
|
Score: 89.85, marking a highly celebrated top-tier placement for the estate.
|
| 2022
|
Top 10 (10th Place)
|
Natural Red Catuai
|
Score: 87.94 submitted by the González family.
|