Guatemala New Oriental Cardillas Estate Winey Natural Pacas Varieties, Brand Recommendations, and Estate

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Pacas Coffee Variety

Pacas is a natural mutation of Bourbon, similar to Caturra from Brazil and Villa Sarchi from Costa Rica. Like other widely cultivated Bourbon mutations, Pacas is a new variety formed by single-gene mutation, which gives Pacas a crucial characteristic: plants can be planted more densely, ultimately resulting in higher yields per unit area.

Pacas was first discovered in 1949 by the Pacas family in the Santa Ana region of El Salvador. Fernando Alberto Pacas Figueroa noticed some plants with different morphological characteristics on their family's Finca San Rafael estate, and subsequently began collecting seeds and conducting selection breeding. Later, they developed about 3/4 hectare of Pacas "pioneer nursery."

By 1956, Francisco de Sola and Fernando's son, Fernando Alberto Pacas Trujillo, began researching the Pacas variety with the help of Florida professor William Cogwill. They compared San Ramon Bourbon with an "unknown" new variety, which exhibited completely different characteristics and plant morphology from Bourbon, with shorter internodal distances and larger fruiting areas. Finally, they named this variety "Pacas."

Guatemala Coffee Regions

Guatemala is a renowned high-quality Arabica coffee producing country in Central America. Coffee from its five volcanic regions and three non-volcanic regions is highly distinctive and enjoys an excellent reputation in the international market.

Brewing Method

Hand-poured Guatemalan wine-flavored natural process. Using 15g of coffee, medium grind (small Fuji ghost tooth blade grinder #4), V60 dripper, water temperature 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops halfway before continuing to pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total, avoiding the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

New Oriente® Region

Coffee in this region has been grown entirely by small farmers since the 1950s. Today, every farmer in the mountainous area is a coffee production unit. This region was once the most remote and impoverished area of Guatemala but now shows vibrant vitality. With abundant rainfall and cloudy weather, New Oriente was an ancient volcanic region where soil evolved from volcanic metamorphic rocks, rich in minerals and nutritionally balanced, unlike other volcanic coffee regions.

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Ingredients: In-house roasted
Shelf Life: 30 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Taste Profile: Neutral
Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Guatemala
Coffee Type: Other
Roast Degree: Medium roast

Guatemala Plan del Guayabo Estate

Country: Guatemala
Region: New Oriente
Estate: Cardenas Estate
Grade: SHB
Processing Method: Wine-flavored natural process

New Oriente Terroir

Rich volcanic soil, low humidity, abundant sunshine, and cool nights are the characteristics of this producing region. This valley is surrounded by three volcanoes: Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. Volcanic ash from eruptions has enriched the soil in the Antigua region with minerals. Volcanic pumice can retain moisture, overcoming the drawback of low rainfall in the Antigua region. Dense tree shade prevents occasional frost damage.

Variety: Pacas
Altitude: 1,675 meters
Flavor Notes: Passion fruit, strawberry sandwich cookies, blueberry

Guatemala Coffee Characteristics

Guatemala has numerous volcanoes, and coffee grown in volcanic soil produces rich specialty coffee. Guatemala's average altitude is quite high, which means coffee trees grow in environments with significant day-night temperature differences. This harsh environment with large temperature variations causes coffee cherries to grow longer and slower on the trees, resulting in hard beans with more complete and rich flavors.

Characteristics: Rich wet aroma, good balance, high sweetness, elegant and floating mouthfeel.

This latest batch of coffee beans comes from the top-tier Cardenas Estate located in Guatemala's New Oriente region.

Wine-Flavored Natural Process Flavor Profile

Pineapple, muskmelon, dried apricot, candied lemon peel, Bordeaux wine, green tea with cinnamon spices, overall filled with rich sweetness and a full-bodied smoky plum aroma.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy the fruit-forward, wine-like sweetness of a natural-process single origin, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon is a rewarding bottle to compare alongside it. It comes from Mogiana, close to South Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil lets the coffee fruit absorb plenty of nutrients and develop a full aroma; some farms there keep traditional methods while others have adopted modern, standardized management, which has greatly improved local coffee quality. Its variety is the rare Yellow Bourbon, a natural mutation of Red Bourbon whose fruit character is cleaner, and through pour-over, moka pot, or a home espresso machine it shows a sugar-cane sweetness that other regions lack, along with fruit and chocolate notes.

If you prefer a classic, easy-drinking Brazilian profile, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is another excellent option. Cerrado is a well-known local region famed for high-quality beans, and this lot is the common South American Red Bourbon variety; at a medium roast it shows rich cream-peanut, toast, caramel, and hazelnut aromas, with a round body, no acidity, and a light bitterness. It suits not only pour-over but also moka pot, espresso SOE, siphon, and French press, making it a versatile bean to keep on hand while you explore naturally processed coffees like the Guatemalan lot above.