Guatemala Antigua Coffee Growing Conditions_Where to Buy Antigua Coffee Beans_Antigua Coffee Brands

Guatemala Antigua Coffee Beans

Produced in Guatemala, these beans belong to the Bourbon variety, among the more acidic types. The flavor is mellow with a slightly wild edge, which makes it a natural fit for blending. Antigua is the oldest and most beautiful city in the Americas. As early as 1543 it was the capital of the entire Central American colonial era, until the great earthquake of 1773 left the city in ruins and the capital was moved to Guatemala City in 1776.

Antigua is a famous coffee-producing region. Rich volcanic soil, low humidity, strong sunlight and cool evening winds define the area. Roughly every 30 years the ground near Antigua sees volcanic eruptions, which add more nitrogen to already fertile soil, while ample rainfall and sunshine make the place all the better for growing coffee.

Some of Guatemala's highest quality coffee is currently exported to Japan, where a cup sells for $3-4.

Antigua sits in central Guatemala and is famous for its colonial city, which served as the capital for 200 years. It has always been Guatemala's best-known coffee region, lying in a high-altitude valley ringed by three main volcanoes: Vulcan de Agua, Fuego and Acatenango. Vulcan de Agua, the Water Volcano, is the closest, and at its foot stands the well-known Bella Vista wet mill. The mill's owner, Luis Pedro Zelaya, is a fourth-generation farmer who also owns several small farms.

With its fertile volcanic ash soil, dry climate and high altitude, the Water Volcano area is excellent country for coffee. The Bella Vista wet mill uses traditional wet processing, soaking the beans in clean water for 24 hours to make sure all the fruit mucilage is thoroughly cleaned away.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

As the article suggests, Antigua's mellow, faintly wild character makes it a natural component in a blend, and espresso is where that softness pays off most clearly. FrontStreet Premium Blend is built for home or office use and for specialty neighborhood cafes, combining washed Colombian and semi-washed Brazilian beans to give nut, dark chocolate and caramel notes with a comfortable bittersweet edge; the crema and balance make it forgiving with milk, so a latte pours smooth and holds a stable pattern, and a Dirty layers cleanly with a dark brown crema on top.

FrontStreet Commercial Blend targets cafes of every kind, again pairing washed Colombian with semi-washed Brazilian coffee but adding a small share of Robusta. Where other espresso recipes stay narrow, this one leans on the classic Brazil-and-Colombia combination, and the touch of Robusta lifts the flavor another notch, so the cup shows toasted bread, almond and walnut in a complex nutty register, with crema that flows well and a low-acid, full-bodied character that makes it the sensible choice for a shop.

Two more blends round out the FrontStreet espresso range. FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend pairs washed Yunnan small bean with semi-washed Brazilian coffee, joining the nut-toned acidity of ripe plum with an aroma of cream chocolate and cocoa cookie when ground; it stays balanced with a golden crema and suits anyone opening a shop or setting up a home machine. FrontStreet Classic Blend is aimed at beginners learning latte art as well as upscale specialty bars, a medium-dark recipe drawn from three origins and inspired by the old Mamba combination of Mandheling and Brazil, with a small addition of Robusta for aroma and crema; it lets a newcomer pull a golden-crema espresso at home. For those who prefer something brighter, FrontStreet Strawberry Candy Geisha Blend is built for uncosted Americanos and lattes, combining three single origins for a sweet, rose-scented cup with grape, dried blueberry, sweet orange and candy notes.