Guatemala La Tisha Estate Washed Premium Coffee Bean Varieties, Brand Recommendations and Estate

The Unique Terroir of Fraijanes Plateau

Volcanic soil, high altitude, and a humid, rainy climate shaped by constant volcanic activity give the Fraijanes Plateau its distinctive growing conditions. Pacaya, the volcano within this region, is the most active of Guatemala's three still-erupting volcanoes, and its ash regularly dusts the plateau, enriching the soil with minerals. The dry, sunny season here coincides with the coffee-drying period, and although mornings often begin cloudy and foggy, the haze burns off quickly, guaranteeing excellent sun exposure for drying.

Finca Las Delicias: A Legacy of Coffee Cultivation

Coffee has been grown at Finca Las Delicias on the Fraijanes Plateau since 1920. The estate plants a range of varieties, including Bourbon and Caturra. Of the farm's 205 acres (one acre equals 4,046.8 square meters), 173 acres are under coffee, while the remaining 32 acres of native forest provide habitat for local wildlife. Several natural springs cross the property, supplying abundant, high-quality water to irrigate the coffee during the dry season and to power the estate's washed-processing mill.

Coffee Varieties

Bourbon coffee comes from trees of the Bourbon cultivar of Arabica. The variety was first cultivated on Réunion Island — known as Île Bourbon before 1789 — which was later occupied by France and served as a conduit connecting the variety to Africa and Latin America. Bourbon is today one of the most widely grown Arabica coffees in the world, typically cultivated at altitudes between 3,500 and 6,500 feet (1,062–1,972 meters).

Caturra is a single-gene mutation of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in the 1950s. It out-yields Bourbon and resists disease better while delivering comparable cup quality. It adapts well to elevations from 700 to 1,700 meters, though yields taper off at the higher end of that range.

Coffee Grading Systems

There is no single worldwide grading standard for coffee. Every producing country has its own system and its own nomenclature, which is why coffee packaging may carry labels such as "SHB," "AA+," "Supremo," "Extra-Fancy," or "Peaberry." Roasted single-origin coffees often state their grade, and as a rule of thumb, the more detailed the grading information, the better the coffee — commodity-grade products rarely display it at all.

Brewing Recommendations

Pour-over Guatemala Las Delicias: 15g of coffee at a medium grind (Fuji Royal "ghost tooth" grinder, setting #4), V60 dripper, water at 88–89°C. Start with a 30g bloom for 27 seconds, then pour to 105g and pause. Once the water level in the bed drops to half, pour slowly up to a total of 225g and cut off the tail of the drawdown. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, total extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Ingredients: In-house roasted coffee
Shelf life: 90 days
Net weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Flavor profile: Rich and mellow coffee
Bean state: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar content: Unsweetened
Origin: Guatemala
Roast level: Medium roast

Coffee Details

Guatemala Finca Las Delicias

Country: Guatemala
Grade: SHB
Region: Fraijanes, Guatemala City
Altitude: 1,675 meters
Harvest period: October to February
Process: Washed
Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra
Mill: Finca Las Delicias

Guatemala's Coffee Heritage

Coffee arrived in Guatemala in earnest in 1750, brought by Jesuit priests, and German settlers built the industry into a commercial powerhouse in the late 19th century. Today most production is concentrated in the country's south. Guatemala has seven main growing regions — Antigua, Coban, Atitlan, Huehuetenango, Fraijanes, Oriente, and San Marcos — each with its own climate and therefore its own cup character. Taken as a whole, Guatemalan coffee offers a gentle yet full-bodied texture, elegant aromatics, and a pleasant fruit-like acidity, which has earned it a reputation as the aristocrat of Central American coffees.

Flavor Profile

Black tea, florals, and rich caramel sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Washed processing is a water-based method in which the fruit is floated, pulped, fermented in tanks to remove the mucilage, then washed or soaked again before drying and hulling. The extended soak lowers the bean's sugar content while concentrating organic acids, so washed coffees tend to highlight the bean's own aromatics with a bright, clean, and refreshing acidity. If you enjoy that clean style, FrontStreet's washed Yirgacheffe from the Guodingding cooperative is a standout: the village farmers send their small harvests to this skilled processing team, and the resulting cup bursts with jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity, unfolding into green tea and honey notes after a medium-light roast. It is versatile enough for pour-over, cold brew, or espresso.