Guatemala|Huehuetenango Coffee Roasting and Pour Over|Orange Tree Farm Caturra

Guatemala Huehuetenango Los Naranjales Caturra Washed

• Country of Origin: Guatemala
• Variety: Caturra
• Region: Huehuetenango
• Farm: Los Naranjales
• Farm Owner: Carlos Armas
• Altitude: 1750 meters
• Processing Method: Washed; Dry fermentation
• Flavor Notes: Nectarine, Navel Orange, Vanilla

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Suggestions:

Guatemala SHB coffee beans have very high hardness. To let them fully expand and develop their flavors while preserving the excellent acidity of Guatemalan coffee, you can use an "acid-pulling" technique during roasting: increase the heat at the yellowing point, keeping the temperature curve rising steeply to promote aroma and cracking. When first crack becomes dense, reduce the heat for a "sweetness enhancement" step to develop sweet flavors, and turn off the heat before dropping the beans to glide and build body and maturity. The smoky flavor of Huehuetenango becomes more pronounced with darker roasts, so a lighter roast degree is recommended. Drop the beans at about 13 degrees into first crack development, when first crack is nearly ending, for a light roast.

Pour-over Brewing Suggestions:

V60 dripper, medium-fine grind, 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature 88-90C

Other Brewing Suggestions:

French Press: Medium grind, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature 87-89C

Siphon: Medium-fine grind, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature 87-89C

Guatemala Huehuetenango Los Naranjales Farm

Huehuetenango is a particularly special region among Guatemala's coffee areas. While volcanic soil is most common in the country, this region has limestone soil, which gives Huehuetenango coffee a subtle mineral-like aroma. Although highlands around 2,000 meters typically see frost at night, warm air currents from Mexico flow steadily into Huehuetenango, protecting the high-altitude plantations from frost damage.

The owner of Los Naranjales farm is Carlos Armas. The farm uses washed processing with dry fermentation. The Barn particularly loves the flavor of Los Naranjales coffee, which is distinctly different from other Huehuetenango coffees. Carlos Armas is now The Barn's exclusive partner.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For a bright, clean washed cup like this Los Naranjales, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Gedingin is a natural match. It is one of the cleanest, most delicate washed coffees FrontStreet Coffee offers, with jasmine fragrance and bright citrus and lemon acidity rather than bitterness, which suits the same light-roast, high-clarity style.

If you want a washed coffee with a little more complexity, FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Tomato is built on Kenya's classic 72-hour double washed fermentation. Grown in the Sika region at 1,550-1,750 meters from SL28 and SL34, roasted light, it opens with dried cherry tomato and floral notes and layers savory tomato, dark plum and a clean, long finish.

Brew either as a pour-over with a V60 at a 1:16 ratio and 88-90C water, or, if you prefer a heavier body, in a French press at 1:15 and 87-89C.