Guatemala COE Coffee Beans | La Perla Estate | Caturra Variety | Washed Process

FrontStreet Coffee Guatemala Finca La Perla Caturra Washed

Estate: Finca La Perla

Award Record: 4th Place, 2006 Guatemala Cup of Excellence

Region: El Quiché micro-region

Altitude: 1,200–1,400 meters

Processing Method: Washed

Harvest Season: 2017–2018

Variety: Caturra

Soil: Sandy soil

Shade Trees: Gravilea and Inga

Harvest Time: October to May

Annual Rainfall: 5,000mm

Average Temperature: 14–31°C

Humidity: 60%

Moisture Content: 11.8%

Flavor Description:

Sugarcane sweetness, California honey plum, grapefruit, vanilla and roasted nuts, with remarkably high sweetness throughout.

Estate History

Finca La Perla sits deep in the ancient mountains of El Quiché province, in central-western Guatemala. It is owned by José Luis and Amparo Arenas, known locally as the "Quiet Guardians." Because the estate is buried so far into the mountains, transportation is genuinely difficult. By traditional means — horses and mules — reaching the farm takes up to three days of trekking along winding mountain paths and through forest, which directly complicates shipping the coffee out after harvest. An alternative is flying the beans out by light aircraft, but that sharply raises both transport costs and risk. The estate endured financial losses of this kind for as long as 36 years.

Yet none of these hardships broke them. Sustained by strong faith, an unrelenting work ethic, a passion for coffee, and extraordinary care for the lives of their workers, José Luis and Amparo Arenas led the whole estate in turning this land into fertile ground of hope, full of dreams and a future. Their reward came in 2006, with an excellent 4th-place finish in the Guatemala Cup of Excellence.

The 2017 arrival of this washed Caturra micro-batch is truly a labor of love from the Arenas family. It is a coffee with a clear central flavor and excellent balance: savor the distinctive roasted-nut and brown-sugar character, a bright, high-quality acidity reminiscent of white grapes, and a sweet aftertaste that lingers on the tongue and brings the cup to a perfect close.

Why Washed Processing Matters

Washed processing is the traditional way of using water to handle coffee cherries: floating and sorting, removing the pulp, fermenting in tanks to strip the mucilage, rinsing (or extending the soak), then drying and hulling. The extended time in water triggers chemical changes inside the bean and consumes much of its simple sugars (fructose and glucose), lowering the coffee's sugar content while increasing its organic acids. Washed coffees therefore tend to preserve more of the bean's own inherent character while showing bright fruit acidity and a clean, fresh profile — exactly what lets a lot like this La Perla Caturra speak so clearly of its terroir.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy clean, bright washed coffees, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe Guji (Guodingding) cooperative lot deserves a spot on your shelf. Washed processing lets it show jasmine florals and luminous citrus acidity at their best; after a medium-light roast it unfolds notes of green tea and honey, and it works beautifully as a pour-over, a cold brew, or even an espresso.

Another standout is FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1, a classic of the washed tradition. Jamaica's island climate brings shorter sunshine hours than most origins, which is precisely why washed processing took hold there: stripping skin, pulp, and mucilage before drying shortens drying time and keeps defect rates low. The result is a coffee with a rich aroma and a balanced, harmonious cup — hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel, with no single note overpowering or missing. Washed fans should also try FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya "Cherry Tomato" lot, double-washed for an intensely juicy, sweet-tart cup of baby tomato, dark plum, snow pear, black plum, and yellow sugar.