Introduction to Guatemala La Tisha Coffee Region and How to Brew Guatemalan Coffee

Coffee Bean Grading Systems

There is no single worldwide grading standard for coffee beans—each producing country has its own system and names. That's why labels carry terms like "SHB," "AA+," "Supremo," "Extra-Fancy," or "Peaberry / small bean." Roasted single origins often list their grade, and the more detailed the grading information, the better the coffee tends to be; most commodity coffees simply don't show it.

Pour-Over Guatemala La Delicias

15g of coffee, medium grind (small Fuji ghost-tooth burr grinder #4), V60 dripper, water at 88-89°C. Pour 30g of water and bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and stop; once the bed drops to half, continue slowly to 225g, skipping the tail section. Ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Coffee Details

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: Washed

Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra

Processing Mill: Finca La Delicias

Guatemala Coffee History

Coffee arrived in Guatemala for real in 1750, brought by Jesuit priests, and German settlers built the industry in the late 19th century. Today most production happens in the country's south, across seven main regions: Antigua, Coban, Atitlan, Huehuetenango, Fraijanes, Oriente, and San Marcos. Each has its own climate, so each has its own cup. Broadly, Guatemalan coffee shows a gentle, rich texture with elegant aromas and pleasant fruity acidity—the nobility of coffees.

Flavor Profile

Flavor: black tea, floral notes, rich caramel sweetness

Fraijanes Plateau Terroir

Volcanic soil, high altitude, a humid and rainy climate, and living volcanoes shaped the Fraijanes Plateau. The Pacaya volcano here is the most active of Guatemala's three still-erupting volcanoes, often dusting the plateau with a thin layer of ash that feeds the soil with minerals. The bean-drying season coincides with the plateau's sunniest stretch: mornings are often cloudy and foggy, but it burns off fast, guaranteeing excellent sun-drying conditions.

La Delicias Estate

Coffee has been grown at La Delicias in the Fraijanes Plateau since 1920. The estate grows Bourbon, Caturra, and Pacamara. Of its total 205 acres (1 acre = 4046.8 square meters), 173 acres go to coffee and the remaining 32 acres of native forest are left as habitat for local wildlife. Several natural springs irrigate the plantations through the dry season and also power the processing mill—including water for washing.

Bourbon Coffee

Bourbon coffee (French: Café Bourbon) comes from the Bourbon cultivar of Arabica. It was first cultivated on Réunion Island, called Île Bourbon before 1789; the island was later occupied by France and linked to both Africa and Latin America. Today it stands among the two most popular Arabica lineages worldwide, typically grown at 3500 to 6500 feet (1062-1972 meters).

Caturra Variety

Caturra is a single-gene mutant of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in the 1950s. It out-yields Bourbon with better disease resistance and comparable flavor, and grows well from 700 to 1700 meters—though yields drop at the highest altitudes.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If La Delicias' washed balance appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Guodingding from the Worka area of Yirgacheffe offers the same clean clarity on the fruitier end: bright citrus and berry notes, florals, and a green-tea finish, brewed just as well in a V60.

For a gentler, more classic balance, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 sits at the center of the acid-sweet-bitter spectrum—creamy, caramel, chocolate, and nut notes with a round entry and a long clean finish—often called the specialty coffee easiest for everyone to love. And the medium-dark 2013 Yunnan natural Typica adds another balanced, clean cup: citrus and caramel woven with hints of nut, chocolate, and brown sugar.