The Historical Origins and Development of Blueberry Estate Pache - What Variety is Blueberry Estate Pache

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Guatemalan Coffee: An Introduction

Guatemalan coffee - the name might make you think it comes from Africa, but no, Guatemalan coffee actually comes from the Americas. Guatemala was once the cradle of the famous Maya civilization, and it may surprise you that Guatemalan coffee carries something of that cultural crystallization. The main variety cultivated in Guatemala is Bourbon, one of the varieties with distinct acidity, characterized by a mellow flavor and a slightly wild edge.

Ancient Civilization of Guatemala

In the indigenous language, Guatemala means "land of dense forests," and it was one of the centers of the ancient Maya culture.

Guatemala sits in Central America with a uniquely favorable geography. It connects with North America to the north and borders South America to the south. Facing the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, its climate is relatively humid and hot, making it an important coffee-producing region worldwide.

Guatemalan coffee-growing areas are distributed above 1500 meters altitude, between 14°-16° north latitude, which is ideal for growing extremely hard beans. Guatemala has seven major producing regions, among which Nuevo Oriente is the youngest. This area receives abundant rainfall and belongs to the rainforest zone like Cobán, though with slightly less humidity and rainfall. The region was once the poorest part of Guatemala until the 1980s, when strong demand for specialty coffee encouraged mountain residents to join in and revitalized the area.

Guatemalan Varieties

Guatemalan varieties are mainly Bourbon, Typica, Catuai, and Catimor. Today, FrontStreet Coffee introduces a Typica variety - Pache.

Pache is a natural mutation of Typica. The plant is smaller, allowing denser planting and higher yields. It suits cultivation at altitudes above 1200 meters and in areas with annual rainfall below 2,500 millimeters. The variety was discovered in 1949 at the Brito farm in Santa Cruz Naranjo, Guatemala.

FrontStreet Coffee Guatemala Little Blueberry Estate Pache

Country: Guatemala

Region: Nuevo Oriente

Altitude: 1550-1800m

Processing: Natural processing

Grade: SHB

Variety: PACHE

The Little Blueberry Estate has placed in the top three of Guatemala's Cup of Excellence competition for three 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, pushing coffee cultivation to 2300 meters and testing the limits of Arabica, where higher altitude means better flavor. In recent years it has shown outstanding strength across a range of competitions.

Because of the origin's extremely high altitude, reaching it means passing through two cloud layers. The cold climate nurtures exceptionally resilient fruit, producing an outstanding coffee flavor. The owner plants different varieties in different sections of the farm, with slightly different flavors and textures. The Pache grown here brings out cocoa flavors and a rich mouthfeel. As a rare natural-processed batch from Guatemala, this coffee shows strong black cherry and blueberry flavors, and is well worth savoring.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations

Machine: Yangjia 800N semi-direct flame roaster

Because the Pache beans are of excellent quality as a natural processed coffee, with the raw beans already carrying rich fruit flavors, FrontStreet Coffee's roaster chose a light roast to highlight their character.

Preheat the roaster to 170°C before charging and set the damper to 3. After 30 seconds, turn on the heat and adjust to 140, damper unchanged. Return temperature at 1'32", reaching 103.4°C. At 140°C, heat unchanged, damper opened to 4. At 5 minutes the beans turn yellow and the grassy aroma disappears, entering the dehydration stage: heat reduced to 120, damper maintained at 4. At 176°C, adjust heat to 100, damper unchanged.

At 8'30", dehydration is complete, wrinkles and black markings appear on the bean surface, and the toast aroma transforms into coffee aroma, signaling the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the first crack sound. At 9'20", first crack begins: damper fully opened to 5, heat adjusted to 70. Development time after first crack is 1'30", with discharge at 195.4°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: BG#6s

Brewing Method: 30g of water for the bloom for 30 seconds, then pour in stages to 125g. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper. (The timer starts from the bloom.) Extraction time is two minutes.

Flavor Description: On grinding, you can smell rich nutty and spicy aromas with a slight fermented berry fragrance. When hot, the entry is fairly balanced, with some fermented fruit notes and a genmaicha (roasted rice tea) sensation, featuring nutty and almond flavors. As the temperature drops, it reveals citrus, berry, and the sweet-tart of ripe fruit, with a long-lasting sugar-cane aftertaste. Overall it is quite sweet and balanced.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A naturally processed Pache from a high-altitude Guatemalan estate is a textbook light-roast coffee, and if its black cherry and blueberry character appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's light-roasted lineup is the place to look. The FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui is one of the boldest expressions of that style, its tropical fruit aroma running from strawberry and passion fruit to jackfruit and lychee, with low bitterness and a smooth, juicy body.

For a cleaner, more citrus-driven cup, the FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Gediding Cooperative brings white florals, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a green tea finish. If you want a more layered and fruit-forward coffee, the FrontStreet Ethiopia Kafa Forest comes from the UNESCO-recognized Kafa Biosphere Reserve, where wild Arabica grows between 1400 and 2100 meters, and carries jasmine, citrus, and wild berry notes with fine, lively detail.