Guatemala La Tatisha Estate Washed Specialty Coffee Beans: Flavor Profile, Growing Region, and Brewing Parameters

Worldwide, coffee bean grading systems are not unified. Every producing country has its own grading system and names, so on coffee labels you may see terms such as "SHB," "AA+," "Supremo," "Extra-Fancy" or "Peaberry/Small beans." These are coffee bean grading names. Sometimes roasted coffee sold on the market indicates the grade of a single origin. The more detailed the grading, the better the coffee quality usually is, though general coffees typically don't indicate it.

Hand Brewed Guatemala La Dilisa

15g of coffee grounds, medium grind (Komachi Fuji 4 grind setting), V60 dripper, water at 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water and let it bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g. Avoid the tail end. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee
Ingredients: House-roasted
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Taste: Mellow and aromatic
Coffee Bean State: Roasted coffee beans
Contains Sugar: Sugar-free
Origin: Guatemala
Coffee Type: Other
Roast Level: Medium roast

Guatemala Finca Las Deliclas

Country: Guatemala
Grade: SHB
Region: Fraijanes, Guatemala City
Altitude: 1675 meters
Harvest Period: October to February of the following year
Processing Method: Washed
Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra
Processing Mill: La Dilisa Estate

Guatemala Coffee History

Coffee was truly introduced to Guatemala in 1750 by Jesuit priests. In the late 19th century, German colonists developed the coffee industry there. Today, most coffee production happens in the southern part of the country. Guatemala has seven main coffee-producing regions: Antigua, Coban, Atitlan, Huehuetenango, Fraijanes, Oriente and San Marcos. Each region has its own climate variations, so beans from each area have their own character. Generally speaking, Guatemalan coffee presents a gentle, mellow texture with elegant aromas and a pleasant, fruit-like acidity - truly the aristocrat among coffees.

Flavor Profile

Flavor: Black tea, floral notes, a rich caramel sensation

Fraijanes Plateau Terroir

Volcanic soil, high altitude, a humid and rainy climate, and active volcanism have created the unique geographical conditions of the Fraijanes Plateau. The Pacaya volcano here is the most active of Guatemala's three still-erupting volcanoes, often blanketing the plateau in a thin layer of ash and feeding abundant minerals into the soil. The coffee's drying period coincides with the season of ample sunshine on the Fraijanes Plateau. Although it is often cloudy and foggy in the early morning, the fog clears quickly, ensuring good sun exposure.

La Dilisa Estate

Coffee cultivation at La Dilisa Estate on the Fraijanes Plateau began in 1920. The estate grows quite diverse varieties, including Bourbon, Caturra and Pacamara. Of the total 205 acres (1 acre = 4046.8 square meters) of the farm, 173 acres are used for coffee, while the remaining 32 acres of native forest serve as habitat for local wildlife. Several natural springs on the farm provide sufficient, high-quality irrigation during the dry season, and they also power the coffee processing plant (water for washed processing).

Coffee Varieties

Bourbon coffee (French: Café Bourbon) is coffee produced from Arabica Bourbon cultivar trees. Bourbon was originally cultivated on Réunion, called Île Bourbon before 1789. It was later carried by France to connect with the African continent and Latin America, and it is now one of the two most popular Arabica coffee production regions globally. Bourbon coffee is typically grown at altitudes of 3500 to 6500 feet (1062-1972 meters).

Caturra: a single-gene variant of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in the 1950s. It has higher yield and disease resistance than Bourbon, with comparable flavor. It suits cultivation at 700-1700 meters altitude, with strong altitude adaptability, though yields decrease relatively at higher altitudes.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Guatemalan coffee's gentle, fruit-like acidity and caramel sweetness are made for the V60, and if you enjoy a pour-over like this one it is worth exploring other beans in the same style. FrontStreet Coffee's Gedeb Cooperative, a washed Yirgacheffe from the Worka area, brings jasmine and bright citrus over a silky body, while FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Queen is packed with tropical fruit - strawberry, passion fruit and lychee - with very little bitterness.

For a sweeter, more floral pour-over, FrontStreet Coffee's Strawberry Candy, a Geisha-style blend, offers delicate flowers and juicy fruit, and FrontStreet Coffee's Mozart adds a clear raisin note. Brew any of them at 90-91°C with 15g of coffee and a 1:15 ratio to keep the aromatics bright.