Guatemala Antigua Coffee Region: The Flavor Profile of Urias Farm's SHB Bourbon Beans and How to Brew Them at Home

Guatemala Antigua Coffee Region: Urias Farm SHB Bourbon Flavor Profile and Home Pour-Over Method

For the past century, coffee has been instrumental to Guatemala's economy. There are currently an estimated 125,000 coffee producers, making coffee the country's primary export commodity and accounting for 40% of agricultural exports. Coffee is cultivated in as many as 20 of the country's 22 provinces, with beans grown in almost every region. 98% of the coffee is shade-grown, and production is almost entirely Arabica. The main varieties include Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Catuaí, Pache, and Pacamara. Guatemala boasts high altitudes and 300 different microclimates, plus stable rainfall and fertile, mineral-rich soil, all of which add up to ideal growing conditions and make it the most favorable of the Central American countries.

Antigua Region Characteristics

This is Guatemala's warmest coffee region and receives the most rainfall. The slopes facing the Pacific get rain earliest, so flowering comes relatively early, and the abundant rainfall often leads to dense flowering after the rains. Coffee quality in this region varies significantly and is closely tied to post-harvest processing. The heavy rainfall also makes drying after harvest difficult: with coffee still holding excess moisture after picking, sun-drying depends largely on luck. As a result, some farms use natural and mechanical drying side by side. Coffee from the high-altitude parts of this region shows pronounced acidity and sweetness, and when the cherries are properly processed they develop quite full and unique aromas.

Guatemala's Eight Coffee Regions

Since the early 1990s, Anacafé (Guatemala's National Coffee Association) has pioneered the classification of eight distinct regions that produce Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) coffee, based on coffee character, growing climate, soil quality, and altitude: the Acatenango valley, Antigua, Atitlán, Cobán, the Fraijanes plateau, Huehuetenango, Nuevo Oriente, and the San Marcos volcanic region. The main harvest season runs from December to March of the following year, with higher-altitude regions such as Huehuetenango extending into April. Once harvesting and processing are complete, the coffee is shipped out.

Urias Farm Profile

Urias Farm is located in the Antigua coffee region, a valley characterized by rich volcanic soil, low humidity, and abundant sunshine. The farm's volcanic pumice provides excellent drainage, complemented by densely planted shade trees. The 113-hectare preserved area serves as a sanctuary for local wild birds and animals.

Property Characteristics

Farm Name: Urias Farm
City: Antigua
Country: Guatemala
Altitude: 1,450-1,600 meters
Average Temperature: 25°C
Rainfall: 900-1,100 mm

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: Bourbon
Processing System: Washed
Grade: SHB (Strictly Hard Bean)
Bean Size: 17-18 screen
Cupping Notes: Cupped at Cinnamon roast level (60 seconds after first crack begins)

Aroma/Flavor: Nuts, drupes, clove, blueberry, jasmine, floral sweetness, milk caramel sweetness, smoky notes

Acidity: Lemon acidity, kumquat, vibrant acidity

Complexity and Other Notes: Prominent floral aroma, perfectly balanced coffee. Unique blueberry fragrance, lively and pleasing acidity, and of course the essential smoky aroma characteristic of Antigua.

Overall Evaluation: Antigua corresponds to Huehuetenango: smoky notes balanced against lemon fruit acidity. This is the flavor reality of Guatemala's traditional coffee regions.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method

Water-to-coffee ratio of 1:15, Fuji grinder setting 3.5, using a V60 dripper. First pour 30g of water for a 28-30 second bloom.

Depending on the bloom condition and the extent of expansion, this decides how long to keep pouring with a fine stream. After blooming, the grounds still hold some air pockets.

During the second pour, foam is produced. The fineness of the foam reflects the air content within the grounds, and that air content decides whether the grounds float on the surface or settle at the bottom of the filter. With more air, the grounds float, so a fine, gentle stream should be used to agitate them and release trapped air.

Pour until reaching 110g of water, then pause at 140g. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before continuing the pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total, avoiding the final 5g. Total extraction time: 2:00 minutes.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The V60's cone and 60° angle force water to flow to the center before dripping through, which lengthens the contact between water and grounds and extracts aroma and flavor fully; its single large hole lets the flow rate depend on the brewer's control, which shows directly in the cup. Because V60 highlights layered aromatics and lively acidity, FrontStreet Coffee's floral, fruit-forward beans are a natural match.

For a first pour-over bean, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Gudingding Cooperative is a favorite: it shows jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity, and after a medium-light roast it adds green tea and honey notes. If you want something sweeter and fruitier, FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Huakui brings intense tropical fruit: strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit, even lychee, with low bitterness and a juicy, smooth body.

For a classic balanced cup, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 is the reference point. Grown from Typica at high altitude, it is roasted medium to medium-dark and brews with a rounded balance of acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and aroma, showing cream, caramel, chocolate, nut, and honey notes with a clean, long finish, making it one of the easiest specialty coffees for almost anyone to love.