How to Bloom Guatemala Jasmin Jasmine Flower Pour-Over Coffee and How to Taste Guatemala Coffee

Coffee Information

Origin Details

Country of Origin: Guatemala

Coffee Region: El Bejucel Estate

Coffee Variety: Typica

Processing Method: Washed

Green Bean Grade: SHB EP

Roast Level: Medium roast (end of first crack, before second crack)

Flavor Characteristics

The EP grade meets European export standards and means essentially defect-free beans that are round and fresh.

At a medium roast, the cup shows lime, malt caramel, and floral notes, with a finish of black chocolate and chestnut.

Guatemalan coffees share a gentle, rich overall texture, an elegant aroma, and a special, pleasant acidity similar to fruit acids.

The Jasmine from El Bejucel Estate stands out in particular. After roasting it has a distinct dried-fruit aroma, a slight caramel taste on entry, and honey and fresh fruit flavors running through the whole cup, leaving a lime sensation in the aftertaste.

Guatemala Coffee History

Coffee was truly introduced to Guatemala in 1750 by Jesuit priests. By the end of the 19th century, German colonists had developed the coffee industry there. Today most production happens in the southern part of the country.

Guatemala has seven major coffee-producing regions, each with a different flavor profile. Broadly speaking, though, Guatemalan coffees all present a gentle, rich texture with elegant aromas and a special, pleasant acidity similar to fruit acids, which is why the origin has been called the aristocrat of coffees. Among them, Antigua Classic is highly recommended by coffee connoisseurs around the world.

Guatemala Coffee Jasmine

Guatemala Jasmin

Estate: El Bejucel Estate

Region: San Vucebte Pacaya Region

Altitude: 1580-1700 meters

Soil: Volcanic ash

Climate: High altitude, frost-free, moderate rainfall

Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Pacamara

Processing Method: Washed, patio drying

Flavor: Dried fruit aroma, lime, caramel, floral notes

Brewing Guide

How to Brew Guatemala Coffee [Jasmin] Well

FrontStreet Coffee Hand-pour Reference: weigh 15 g of [Jasmin] coffee and grind it to a medium setting slightly coarser than table salt. FrontStreet uses a BG grinder at setting 5R (standard sieve pass rate 60%), water at 89°C, and a V60 dripper.

With the hot water in the kettle, draw clockwise circles around the center of the dripper and start the timer as you begin. Within 15 seconds, bring the brew to 30 g and stop pouring. When the timer reaches 1 minute, make the second pour, again in clockwise circles around the center of the dripper, avoiding the area where the coffee meets the filter paper so you do not cause channeling.

When you reach the outermost ring of the coffee bed, leave one ring, then brew circle by circle toward the center. At 2 minutes and 20 seconds, brew the coffee to 220 g, and the extraction is complete.

Japanese-Style Iced Hand-pour [Jasmin]

FrontStreet Coffee Iced Hand-pour [Jasmin] Reference:

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

20 g of coffee, 150 g of ice cubes, and 150 g of hot water. The water temperature should be 1°C higher than the 90°C recommended for a normal hand-pour. Normal grinding uses a small Fuji setting of 3.5; for iced hand-pour, grind half a setting finer to a small Fuji setting of 3.

Bloom water: 40 g, bloom time: 30 seconds.

Pour in segments: a first segment of 60 g of water and a second of 40 g. Use a relatively fine but high water column and stir forcefully so the coffee bed rolls fully, but be careful not to let the liquid level get too high, and avoid pouring onto the edge filter paper.

The entire extraction takes about 2.5 minutes, similar to the normal extraction time for 20 g of coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Guatemala's washed, high-grown Typica is all about clarity, and FrontStreet Papua New Guinea Paradise Bird is a close cousin. From the Paradise Bird estate in the Sigri region of Papua New Guinea, it is also a Typica, grown at 1,600-1,800 meters in volcanic rock soil, and its texture and feel come so close to Jamaica Blue Mountain that many drinkers call it a little Blue Mountain. It reaches the AA high grade with plump beans and a very low defect rate, and its triple washed fermentation gives a clean, pure cup with a strong sweetness. It is an excellent choice for anyone who prefers a coffee without obvious acidity.

If you enjoy the lime and bright citrus in this Guatemala cup, FrontStreet Kenya Cherry Tomato leans further into that direction. It is a Kenyan specialty washed bean from the Thika region, grown at 1,550-1,750 meters with the classic SL28 and SL34 varieties and dense, rounded beans, then given Kenya's signature 72-hour double washed fermentation to draw out the fruit while keeping the cup clean. FrontStreet roasts it light to preserve the lively acidity and layered fruit. The dry aroma already shows concentrated cherry tomato and florals, and the cup opens with clear cherry tomato and smoked plum, bright and solid acidity with the fullness of fresh juice, a sweet mid-palate with snow pear and black plum, and a clean, long finish with brown sugar sweetness and a hint of green tea.

Because this Guatemala coffee is roasted medium and brewed in a V60, those fruit notes come through best with a fast-flow dripper that keeps the bright acidity intact. FrontStreet finds the classic Yirgacheffe flavor of FrontStreet Gedingding, the tropical fruit of FrontStreet Flower Queen, the Geisha character of FrontStreet Strawberry Candy, and the raisin profile of FrontStreet Mozart all especially well matched to a V60.