Guatemala Finca Santa Catalina Natural Bourbon Coffee Characteristics_How to Make Guatemalan Pour-Over Coffee-

Finca Santa Catalina, Guatemala

Introduction to the Estate

Finca Santa Catalina is located on the western side of the Antigua Valley, between the Acatenango and Agua volcanic ranges. The estate has been operated by the Echeverria family for several generations and is now managed by Mr. Pedro Echeverria.

Originally cultivating short-term cash crops such as sugarcane, Finca Santa Catalina began growing coffee several decades ago. The machinery previously used to grind sugarcane was repurposed for removing the pulp and fruit from coffee cherries. The estate still relies on hydropower as its main source of electricity. From nurturing coffee seeds to packaging and arranging export, the estate handles everything itself, serving as a model of vertical integration in the coffee industry. Recently, it has begun updating its equipment to ensure and improve coffee quality.

Estate Details

Country: Guatemala

Region: Antigua

Town: San Miguel Dueñas

Altitude: 1,600-1,800 meters

Average Temperature: 18-22°C

Annual Rainfall: Approximately 800-1,200 mm

Soil Type: Volcanic soil

Cupping Score: 86

Flavor: Floral and fruity notes, sugarcane sweetness, clean

Processing: Natural

Variety: Bourbon

How to Brew Guatemala Coffee [Finca Santa Catalina]

FrontStreet Coffee Pour-Over Reference

Weigh 15g of Finca Santa Catalina grounds and pour into a grinder for a medium grind. The particles should be slightly coarser than table salt. We use a BG grinder setting of 5R (60% standard sieve pass rate) with a water temperature of 89°C, using a V60 dripper for extraction.

Pour the hot water from the gooseneck kettle in clockwise circles centered on the middle of the dripper. Start timing when you begin brewing. Within 15 seconds, brew the coffee to 30g, then stop pouring. When the time reaches 1 minute, begin the second pour, again in clockwise circles centered on the middle of the dripper. Avoid pouring water on the area where the grounds meet the filter paper, to prevent channeling.

When pouring to the outermost circle of grounds, leave one ring of space, then continue pouring circle by circle toward the center. At 2 minutes and 20 seconds, the coffee should reach 220g, completing the brew.

Japanese Ice Pour-Over [Finca Santa Catalina]

FrontStreet Coffee ice pour-over reference for Finca Santa Catalina:

Guatemala coffee [Finca Santa Catalina], light to medium roast, BG grinder setting 5M (67% standard sieve pass rate).

20g of grounds, 150g of ice, 150g of hot water. The water temperature should be 1°C higher than the normal pour-over recommendation of 90°C. For normal grinding, use a Fuji grinder setting of 3.5, but for ice pour-over grind slightly finer, to Fuji setting 3.

Bloom with 40g of water for 30 seconds.

Segmented pouring: the first segment with 60g of water, the second with 40g. Use a thin but high water column, applying force to stir and impact so the grounds roll thoroughly. Be careful not to let the water level get too high or touch the filter paper at the edges.

The entire extraction time should be approximately 2.5 minutes (similar to the normal extraction time for 20g of coffee).

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A clean, floral, naturally processed coffee like this one brews especially well in a V60, which is designed to bring out layered aromatics and lively acidity. FrontStreet Gutingding Cooperative coffee is a fitting companion: from the Worka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe, it follows the most traditional washed process and is often called the last pure land of Yirgacheffe. Without traditional bitterness, it carries fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity and a jasmine fragrance that wins people over at first sip.

FrontStreet Flower Champion is another V60 favorite, prized for its prominent tropical fruit aroma. It is the variety behind the 2017 Taste of Harvest winner from Hambella in Sidamo, and it typically shows strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit, and even lychee, with clear sweetness, very low bitterness, and a smooth, juice-like body. Many drinkers describe it as the coffee that doesn't taste like coffee.

For a Geisha-style floral-and-fruity option, FrontStreet Strawberry Candy is a blend of a Costa Rican honey-processed coffee and Panamanian Geisha, offering delicate florals alongside sweet fruit. It works for pour-over and also suits a moka pot, an espresso machine, and cold brew.

To brew the Santa Catalina by pour-over, FrontStreet Coffee uses 15g of grounds, a V60 dripper, 89°C water, a 1:15 ratio, and a medium grind slightly coarser than table salt. Use a three-stage pour: 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, a small circular pour to 125g, then continue to 225g when the water in the bed drops to half. Total extraction time is about 2:10 to 2:20.