Introduction to Guatemala Finca Santa Felisa Estate - Guatemala Coffee

Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

Acatenango Coffee Region

Acatenango is located in the Chimaltenango province of Guatemala. With over 5,000 hectares of coffee plantations featuring fertile volcanic soil, it is primarily situated between two major volcanic mountain ranges, and almost all areas have forests and shade trees. As can be seen from the photograph above, the estates almost all adopt shade cultivation, with main varieties being Bourbon and some Catuai and Caturra.

Acatenango has two major volcanoes: Volcan de Fuego and Volcan Acatenango. Acatenango is particularly notable as the third highest peak among Central American volcanoes. Beyond the Fuego volcano lies the Lake Atitlan region.

The annual rainfall in this area ranges from 48 to 72 inches, with an average annual temperature between 14-31°C. The significant temperature difference contributes to dense bean quality, which greatly benefits the flavor profile. The main coffee harvesting season is from mid-January to March. Currently, the Kaqchiquel people still reside in this region and maintain traditional farming methods. Finca Santa Felisa maintains good relationships with the Kaqchiquel people and treats them well, so all estate farming is handled by this community, fostering harmonious coexistence. The region has approximately 4,000 farming families, with coffee cultivation dating back to 1880. Finca Santa Felisa was established in 1907 and, being located at higher altitudes, is considered a pioneer in the Acatenango region.

Finca Santa Felisa

Finca Santa Felisa is a renowned organic coffee estate in Guatemala, founded in 1904 by Trinidad E. Cruz in the Maya Kakchiquel region of Acatenango. For over a century, the Cruz family has lived in harmony with the Maya people. Due to their integrity and kind treatment of indigenous people, the Maya Kakchiquel continue to serve the Cruz family at the estate to this day. The Cruz family is now in its fourth generation.

In 2011, Antonio Meneses, the current operator, decided to separate the estate's premium batches for independent auction, similar to Panama's La Esmeralda estate. This marked the first time in the coffee industry that an organic estate conducted a single-lot auction.

Due to the high altitude of the Acatenango volcanic region, coffee cherries mature slowly. While the acidity remains bright, this slow maturation allows for more balanced sweetness and mature overall flavor profiles. This gives the premium coffees from this region the advantage of being full-bodied and well-balanced.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests brewing parameters:

Pour-over: V60 dripper, grind with Fuji R440 at 3.5, water temperature around 90°C

French Press: recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C

Siphon: recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90-91°C

AeroPress: recommended grind setting 3.5, water temperature 90°C

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473