How to Brew Guatemala Miravalles Estate Muscat Coffee with Reduced Acidity_Brewing Guide for Guatemala Coffee

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Guatemala Coffee Estate - Finca Miravalle

The estate founder Benjamin "Mincho" Villatoro began focusing on producing special, exquisite coffee in 1970. He established Finca Miravalle in the mountains of Huehuetenango. The estate covers an area of 30 hectares, with an altitude ranging from 1500 to 1900 meters and annual rainfall of 1800mm, and is planted with a mix of Bourbon and Caturra varieties.

Founder Benjamin passed away in 2013, and the current estate owner, Jorge Villatoro, inherited Benjamin's legacy and continues to strive for the flavor and quality of specialty coffee. Since 2014, Finca Miravalle has won "Excellence" awards for three consecutive years in the Huehuetenango Highland Coffee Competition, proof that Finca Miravalle coffee best represents the flavor of Huehuetenango. In addition, Miravalle Estate has been listed in Guatemala's Cup of Excellence (C.O.E.) for four consecutive years.

In 2016, the C.O.E. ranking was 10th in all of Guatemala.

How to Brew Guatemala Coffee [Miravalle Muscat] Perfectly?

FrontStreet Coffee pour-over reference: Weigh 15g of [Miravalle Muscat] coffee powder and pour it into a grinder for a medium grind. The ground particles should be slightly coarser than table salt. We use BG grinder setting 5R (standard sieve pass rate 60%), water temperature 89°C, and extract with a V60 dripper.

Hot water from the pour-over kettle should be poured in clockwise circles centered on the middle of the dripper. Start timing when brewing begins. Within 15 seconds, brew the coffee to 30g, then stop pouring water. When the time reaches 1 minute, pour water for the second time. During the second pour, as before, pour in clockwise circles centered on the middle of the dripper. The water stream should not hit the area where the coffee grounds meet the filter paper, to avoid channeling.

Leave a circle when pouring coffee grounds to the outermost ring, then pour back toward the center circle by circle. At 2 minutes and 20 seconds, the coffee should be brewed to 220g. The coffee is complete.

Japanese-Style Iced Pour-Over [Miravalle Muscat]

FrontStreet Coffee iced pour-over [Miravalle Muscat] reference:

Guatemala coffee [Miravalle Muscat], light-medium roast, BG grinder setting 5M (standard sieve pass rate 67%)

20g of coffee powder, 150g of ice cubes, 150g of hot water. The water temperature should be 1°C higher than the normal pour-over recommendation of 89°C. A normal grind uses the Fuji Mini Mill at setting 3.5, while iced pour-over uses a slightly finer grind—Fuji Mini Mill at setting 3.

Bloom water amount 40g, bloom time 30 seconds.

Segmented pouring, first segment 60g water, second segment 40g water. Use a relatively thin but high water column for pouring, stirring forcefully to make the coffee grounds roll fully. Take care, however, not to let the liquid level get too high or hit the filter paper at the edges.

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

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A washed Guatemalan coffee like Miravalle Muscat, where Bourbon and Caturra are grown together and the cup stays clean and sweet, is best matched by other washed lots that put clarity and balance first. FrontStreet's Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise is a specialty single origin from the Bird of Paradise estate in PNG's Sigri region; because its texture comes close to Jamaica Blue Mountain, many drinkers call it a "little Blue Mountain." It is grown from the Typica variety that Blue Mountain shares, planted at 1600 to 1800 meters in volcanic soil, and it reaches the AA grade with full, low-defect beans. Its triple washed and fermented processing leaves it clean and pure with pronounced sweetness, which also makes it a fine choice for anyone who prefers coffee that is not sour. For a more floral and citrus-driven cup, FrontStreet's Yirgacheffe Gedingding cooperative coffee is a washed Ethiopian single origin whose jasmine and bright citrus acidity are brought forward by a medium-light roast, ending in green tea and honey notes; it suits pour-over, cold brew and espresso equally well.

Washed coffees are clean and easy to read, so keep the variables steady: grind to a medium coarseness slightly beyond table salt, hold the water at about 89°C, and pour in clockwise circles centered on the dripper, starting the clock as you begin, reaching 30g within 15 seconds, then pouring again at the one-minute mark and finishing at 220g by 2 minutes 20 seconds.