PACHE Coffee Variety Introduction: Typica Descendant and How to Brew Guatemalan PACHE Coffee

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An ancient civilization paired with ancient coffee history - the two blend together harmoniously. When cultures from different regions merge, they create something new, leaving a lingering exotic charm in this ancient land that has become part of the country's cultural heritage. This is Guatemala - the country where the ancient Mayan civilization still resonates!

Ancient Civilization of Guatemala

In the indigenous language, Guatemala means "land of abundant forests" and was one of the centers of ancient Mayan culture.

Located in Central America, Guatemala enjoys a unique geographical environment, connecting North America to the north and South America to the south. Facing the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, the climate is relatively humid and warm, making it one of the world's important coffee-producing regions. Guatemala's coffee belt is distributed above 1,500 meters, between 14-16 degrees north latitude, where it's easiest to grow extremely hard beans.

Guatemala has seven major coffee-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 precipitation. This region was once one of Guatemala's poorest areas until the 1980s, when the growing demand for specialty coffee encouraged mountain residents to join in, revitalizing the area with new life.

Guatemala Varieties

Guatemala's coffee varieties are primarily Bourbon, Typica, Catuai, and Caturra. Today, FrontStreet Coffee introduces to you a variety that is a mutation of Typica - Pache. PACHE can bring out cocoa and rich mouthfeel. Catuai presents almond tea, drupe fruits with some fruity notes. A descendant of Typica, but not considered a high-quality coffee. This resilient plant grows between 3,500 to 6,000 feet (1,067-1,827 meters) above sea level.

Pache is a natural mutation of Typica. The plant is smaller, allowing for denser planting and higher yields. It is suitable for cultivation at altitudes above 1,200 meters and in regions with annual rainfall below 2,500 millimeters. This variety was discovered in 1949 at the Brito farm in Santa Cruz Naranjo, Guatemala.

Example: FrontStreet Coffee Guatemala Little Blueberry Estate Pache

Country: Guatemala

Region: Nuevo Oriente

Altitude: 1,550-1,800 meters

Processing: Natural process

Grade: SHB (Strictly Hard Bean)

Variety: PACHE

Little Blueberry Estate

Little Blueberry Estate has been among the top three in 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 prestigious estates in all of Guatemala. The estate owner professionally manages the farm, challenging the limits by growing coffee at 2,300 meters, pushing the boundaries where higher altitude Arabica yields better flavor. In recent years, it has demonstrated exceptional strength in various competitions.

Due to the extremely high altitude, one must pass through two cloud layers to reach this location. The cold climate nurtures extremely resilient fruits, cultivating exceptional coffee flavors. The estate owner plants different coffee varieties in different sections of the farm, each with slightly different flavor profiles. The Pache grown here brings out cocoa flavors and a rich mouthfeel. As a rare natural process batch from Guatemala, this coffee features strong black cherry and blueberry flavors that are worth savoring.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations

Machine: Yangjia 800N semi-direct flame roaster

Because this Pache bean is of excellent quality as a natural process bean, with green beans already carrying rich fruit flavors, FrontStreet Coffee's roaster has adopted a light roast to highlight its flavors.

Preheat the roaster to 170°C before loading, set the damper to 3. Turn on the heat after 30 seconds, adjusting the flame to 140 while keeping the damper unchanged. The temperature return point is at 1'32" at 103.4°C. At 140°C, keep the flame unchanged and open the damper to 4. The beans turn yellow at 5 minutes, the grassy aroma disappears, entering the dehydration stage. Reduce the flame to 120 while maintaining the damper at 4. At 176°C, adjust the flame to 100 while keeping the damper unchanged.

Dehydration completes at 8'30, with wrinkles and black spots appearing on the bean surface. The toast aroma transforms into coffee fragrance, heralding the first crack. Pay attention to the sound of the first crack at this point. The first crack begins at 9'20", fully open the damper to 5 while adjusting the flame to 70. The development time after first crack is 1'30, ending at 195.4°C when discharged.

FrontStreet Coffee's Cupping Report

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 30-second bloom, then pour to 125g in stages. 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. (Timing starts from the bloom) The total extraction time is two minutes.

Flavor description: When grinding, you can smell strong nutty and spicy aromas with some slight fermented berry notes. When hot, the entry is quite balanced, with some fermented fruit aroma and roasted rice tea notes, featuring nutty and almond flavors. As the temperature drops, it reveals citrus, berries, and the sweet-tartness of ripe fruits, with a lasting sugarcane aftertaste. Overall, it's quite sweet and balanced.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473