Introduction to 2018 Guatemala COE Third Place Winner - New Oriente Little Blueberry Estate | Pour-over Little Blueberry Estate Coffee

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Introduction

El Morito Little Blueberry Estate is the third-place estate in the 2018 Guatemala Cup of Excellence competition, ranking far higher than the renowned El Injerto Estate.

This batch is from the Guatemala Cup of Excellence's perennial winner, Little Blueberry Estate coffee, the 2018 COE 3rd place estate and 2017 COE 4th. The bean variety comes from the ancient Arabica species Pache, a local variant of Typica that is particularly suitable for cultivation at altitudes between 900 and 1800 meters. It features rich cocoa flavor and a full-bodied texture, making it ideal for summer cold drip coffee.

This rare Guatemala natural process coffee has excellent bean quality, with the raw beans already carrying rich fruit flavors. After roasting, you can taste distinct cherry and blueberry fruit notes. Among the pleasant floral aromas there is the characteristic sweetness of natural process coffee, with a comfortable cocoa undertone and apricot flavor in the finish. The delicate, rich texture awaits your appreciation.

Basic Information

Country: Guatemala (New Oriental)

Region: Mataquescuintal, Jalapa

Estate: Finca El Morito Little Blueberry Estate

Altitude: 1500-2500 meters

Variety: Pache

Awards: Guatemala COE top three estates for 3 consecutive years (2015 2nd, 2014 3rd, 2013 2nd; 2017 4th; 2018 3rd)

Processing Method: Natural process

Estate Introduction

Little Blueberry Estate is a Guatemala COE competition top-three estate for 3 consecutive years (2015 2nd, 2014 3rd, 2013 2nd; 2017 4th). It is one of the highest-altitude and most exceptional estates in all of Guatemala. The estate owner manages the farm professionally and challenges coffee cultivation at 2300 meters, pushing the limits of Arabica cultivation, where higher altitude yields better flavor. In recent years it has performed extremely strongly in various competitions.

Because this origin sits at an extremely high altitude, one must pass through two cloud layers to reach it. The cold climate nurtures extremely resilient fruit, creating exceptional coffee flavors. The estate owner plants different varieties in different areas of the farm, with slightly different flavor profiles for each. The Pache cultivated here brings out cocoa flavor and a full-bodied texture. As a rare natural process batch from Guatemala, the coffee features strong black cherry and blueberry flavors, worthy of your appreciation.

Roasting Recommendations

Roast at 192°C, using medium heat gradually reduced to low heat. The air valve does not need to be too large. Drop the beans at about 11.5 minutes after the first crack begins. This yields a special cherry aroma accompanied by a strong fruit-flavor aftertaste, with a clean, sweet, and smooth finish that is worth savoring repeatedly. This bean has moderate moisture content and does not require excessive dehydration. Roast at 190°C with a gradual heat increase. Be sure to strengthen the air valve when the first crack begins to remove off-flavors. Drop the beans at the end of the first crack, within about 11 minutes. This coffee retains the charming aroma of natural process coffee while having the delicate acidity and sweetness of honey-processed coffee, with unique flavors worth savoring repeatedly.

Cupping Notes

Intense floral aroma, rich cherry flavor, honey plum, stone fruit fragrance, chocolate notes, and a rich, smooth texture, with caramel and apricot sweetness in the finish and a fruity aftertaste.

Brewing Guide

How to Brew Guatemala Coffee [New Oriental Little Blueberry Estate] Well?

FrontStreet Coffee Pour-over Reference:

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

Pour the pour-over kettle's hot water in clockwise circles centered on the middle of the dripper, starting the timer when brewing begins. Brew the coffee to 30g within 15 seconds, then stop pouring. When the time reaches 1 minute, pour the second time. For 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 powder meets the filter paper, to avoid channeling.

When pouring to the outermost circle of coffee powder, leave one circle, then pour circle by circle toward the center. At 2 minutes and 20 seconds, brew the coffee to 220g to complete the brewing process.

Japanese-style Iced Pour-over [New Oriental Little Blueberry Estate]

FrontStreet Coffee Iced Pour-over [New Oriental Little Blueberry Estate] Reference:

Guatemala coffee [New Oriental Little Blueberry Estate], light-medium roast, BG grinder setting 5M (67% standard sieve pass rate).

20g powder, 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 a Fuji 3.5 setting, while iced pour-over uses a slightly finer Fuji 3 setting.

Bloom with 40g of water for 30 seconds.

Pour in stages: first stage 60g of water, second stage 40g of water. Use a relatively thin but high water column for pouring, stirring forcefully to make the coffee powder tumble fully. Be careful not to let the liquid level get too high and avoid hitting the edge filter paper.

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

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For a dark berry flavored iced drip coffee, FrontStreet Costa Rica Mozart is a strong choice. Costa Rica is known for honey-processed coffee, and its coffees usually carry the sweetness of ripe fruit, which makes them ideal for iced drinks. FrontStreet Mozart uses anaerobic honey processing and naturally has a very distinctive raisin aroma. Made as iced drip coffee, it shows clear blueberry, black grape, and wine-like fermented flavors, with a refreshing cup and a lingering aroma.

For a clean, refreshing iced drip coffee, FrontStreet Kenya Small Tomato is a classic Kenyan specialty coffee. It uses a 72-hour washed process, giving the beans 48 extra hours of rinsing and soaking, so the acidity is very lively and the cup is juicy. As iced drip coffee it carries the fresh aroma of cherry tomato and grapefruit, with a bright, light acidity that makes it very suitable for summer.

For a sweet, mellow iced drip coffee, FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling is the pick. Few shops use a dark roast for iced drip, and anyone who has not tried it may assume a dark roast will taste bitter, but that is not the case. FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling is a typical medium-dark roast, with more caramelization, so it is full of dark chocolate, cocoa, and toasted bread aromas. Made with FrontStreet's iced drip method and left in the refrigerator for 24 hours before adding ice, FrontStreet Golden Mandheling iced drip coffee comes across as sweet with a touch of chocolate bitterness, very clear, and with a rich fermentation aroma that is very pleasant.

For an iced drip coffee with a black tea finish, FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui is one of the most recognizable Ethiopian coffees. It is grown in Guji Hambela, where the planting altitude exceeds 2200 meters, so the cherries have ample time to absorb nutrients, and after natural processing and roasting they turn into light floral and fruit aromas. Made as iced drip, the low-temperature fermentation lets the coffee carry the sweet-tart quality of cream strawberry and guava, the fine texture of dried mango and flowers, and the rich layers of a black tea finish.