How to Pour Over Guatemala Maya Star Coffee - Iced Pour Over Maya Coffee Flavor Description

Guatemala Coffee - Maya Star High Altitude Selection

Guatemala Huehuetenango Maya Star

The extremely high altitude makes the coffee cherry flavors more abundant.

Guatemala lies on the Central American isthmus, a land of volcanic mountains and plateaus, and ranks as the world's 9th largest coffee producer. Coffee is grown across eight major regions, of which Huehuetenango in the far north is one of the most famous and popular. The celebrated Injerto Estate is here too, a multiple C.O.E. champion.

Huehuetenango runs along the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes range, home to Central America's highest peak at 4,000 meters. The soil is not volcanic but sandy limestone, with an average annual temperature of 20-24°C, fertile ground, and abundant rainfall. Dry, hot winds blow in from Mexico, and the mountains are free from frost. The steep slopes combined with the special valley terrain create unique, varied microclimates from block to block.

Because Huehuetenango is so remote, most of its coffee farmers are smallholders. To keep flavor and quality stable, mixed harvesting is used: high-quality cherry from many small farms is pooled and processed centrally.

EP (European Preparation)

European buyers found that the standard grading didn't meet their requirements, so they specifically asked for hand-sorting to be added to the preparation.

Taste Description

A relatively high body and rich fruit acidity, with a subtle wine aroma and distinct layered variations.

36 Coffee Aromas

Black currant, cream, malt, maple, almond

How to Brew Guatemala Coffee [Maya Star] Well?

FrontStreet Coffee's pour-over reference: Weigh out 15g of Maya Star and grind medium — the particles should be slightly coarser than table salt. We use BG grinder setting 5R (60% standard sieve pass rate), water temperature 89°C, extracted with a V60 dripper.

Pour hot water from the kettle in clockwise circles centered on the middle of the bed, starting the timer as you begin. Reach 30g within 15 seconds, then stop pouring. At the 1-minute mark, pour a second time — again clockwise circles centered on the middle of the dripper, keeping the stream away from where the coffee meets the filter paper to avoid channeling.

When pouring the outermost circle, leave one ring clear, then spiral inward circle by circle. At 2 minutes 20 seconds the coffee should reach 220g, completing the brew.

Japanese-style Iced Pour-over [Maya Star]

FrontStreet Coffee's iced pour-over [Maya Star] reference:

Guatemala Coffee [Maya Star], light-medium roast, BG grinder setting 5M (67% standard sieve pass rate)

20g coffee, 150g ice cubes, 150g hot water. The water temperature should be 1°C higher than the normal pour-over recommendation of 90°C. Normal grinding uses the small Fuji at setting 3.5; for the iced version, go half a notch finer — small Fuji setting 3.

Bloom with 40g water for 30 seconds.

Segmented pouring: first segment 60g of water, second segment 40g. Use a relatively fine but tall water column for forceful stirring impact, letting the grounds tumble fully — but keep the liquid level from rising too high and keep the stream off the edge filter paper.

Total extraction time is approximately 2.5 minutes (similar to the normal extraction time for 20g of coffee).

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Guatemala Maya Star rewards careful brewing, and the dripper you choose shapes the result. The Hario V60, named for its 60° cone and V-shape, forces water toward the center before it drips through, extending contact between water and grounds so aroma and flavor extract fully, while its single large outlet puts the flow rate entirely in your hands. That fast extraction suits bright, floral coffees beautifully — the very reason FrontStreet reaches for resin V60s (they hold heat well and are the most precisely molded) for pour-overs like this one.

If you enjoyed the icy version, the same Japanese-style technique flatters other aromatic beans too. Try it with the FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Worka — jasmine florals over bright citrus and lemon acidity — or the tropical, fruit-forward FrontStreet Guoji Huakui; both keep their layered sweetness and clean finish even when brewed hot over a bed of ice.