What are the characteristics of Guatemala coffee beans? Introduction to Guatemalan coffee origin flavor profiles

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When speaking of American coffee beans, we naturally think of representative coffee-producing countries like Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and more. The geographical advantages, coffee varieties, and processing methods of these producing countries give each coffee bean its unique characteristics. Besides these, FrontStreet Coffee has a special fondness for coffee beans produced in Guatemala.

When it comes to Guatemala, there's one magical aspect that must be mentioned: its geographical advantages. From plains to high altitudes and then to the Pacific coastal zone, with multiple volcanoes, this creates extraordinary coffee. Guatemala's fertile volcanic soil nurtures specialty coffee beans with unique flavors.

Guatemala has multiple volcanoes exceeding 3,000 meters. The country can be roughly divided into the lower northern plains, the high-altitude central plateau, and the southern coastal zone along the Pacific. Based on various terrain and climate conditions, coffee is cultivated from plateau areas to the northern plains, Pacific side, and Atlantic side. Major producing regions include Antigua, Atitlán, San Marcos, and Cobán.

Thanks to fertile volcanic ash soil and climate conditions, Huehuetenango has also received worldwide attention in recent years. The Guatemalan National Coffee Association, jointly operated by producers and exporters, actively provides agricultural assistance to producers. Although the country's estates vary in size and use traditional farming methods, they still produce many specialty coffees with rich personalities.

Major Guatemala Coffee Producing Regions

Such rich regional flavors must be related to the soil and water of the country's eight producing regions. Among them, the five regions of Antigua, Acatenango Valley, Atitlán, San Marcos, and Volcán have volcanic geology. Additionally, the three regions of Huehuetenango, Cobán, and New Oriente belong to non-volcanic highlands or tropical rainforest climates. Guatemala boasts over 300 microclimates, making it the most in the world.

The Guatemalan National Coffee Association (ANACAFE) divides different producing regions based on coffee flavor, climate, soil, and altitude, roughly classifying them into eight regions:

Antigua

The Antigua producing region is located in the area centered on the Madre plateau in the topographically mountainous range that crosses Guatemala. Due to natural conditions in this region, Antigua has become the most famous among Guatemala's eight producing regions. High altitude, unique volcanic soil, and shade cultivation give coffee beans unique regional flavor characteristics.

Huehuetenango

Huehuetenango is an important coffee-producing region in Guatemala, and the pronunciation of its name is quite interesting. This name originates from the Nahuatl language, meaning "land of the ancients (or ancestors)." Unlike Antigua, coffee from Huehuetenango possesses aromatic, bright fruity flavors with a refreshing taste. Due to high altitude, the coffee beans have superior quality, rich flavor, and full-bodied beans, deeply favored by European royalty. The Huehuetenango region is located in the northwestern highlands of Guatemala, with cultivation altitudes reaching 1,800-2,100 meters, making it the highest altitude coffee-producing region in the country, renowned for producing high-quality beans.

Thanks to fertile volcanic ash soil and favorable climate conditions, Huehuetenango has received worldwide attention in recent years. The Guatemalan National Coffee Association, jointly operated by producers and exporters, actively provides agricultural assistance to producers. Although the country's estates vary in size and use traditional farming methods, they still produce many specialty coffees with rich personalities.

Due to numerous rivers and lakes throughout Guatemala, the Huehuetenango region has abundant mountains and water resources. The climate is dry but water is plentiful, and the region has complete water infrastructure, so coffee is mostly processed using the washed method.

Cobán

The Cobán coffee-producing region is located in Alta Verapaz province, 220 kilometers from Guatemala City. This region is famous for its untouched natural environment and unique microclimate. Geographically, Alta Verapaz is adjacent to the northern Petén province, the heart of Mayan culture and the source of Central America's largest tropical rainforest in Guatemala; looking further south, it faces mountains with altitudes all above 1,600 meters, creating a contrast between high-altitude mountain ranges and high-humidity tropical rainforests. This area is always shrouded in mist formed from dense clouds. The name "Cobán" comes from the Q'eqchi language word "Cob'An," meaning "foggy place."

Lake Atitlán

Among Guatemala's three volcanic-producing regions, this area has the most organic matter in its soil. 90% of coffee plants are cultivated along extremely steep volcanic slopes, and daily cool breezes from Lake Atitlán affect the region, giving its microclimate its own style and characteristics. Lake Atitlán is one of Guatemala's four volcanic coffee-producing regions. The soil around the lake is very fertile, and the lakeside altitude still reaches 1,500 meters. This is also Guatemala's largest and most famous high-altitude volcanic lake.

Fraijanes Plateau

The Fraijanes producing region surrounds the capital Guatemala City, featuring high altitude, abundant rainfall, and significant humidity variations. Volcanic ash from Pacaya, Guatemala's most active volcano, provides important minerals to the region's soil, but occasionally affects personal safety and infrastructure construction.

Volcanic San Marcos

This is the warmest of the eight coffee-producing regions and also receives the most rainfall, reaching 200 inches (5,000 millimeters). The rainy season arrives earlier than in other regions, and flowering time is also earlier. Like all remote coffee-producing regions in Guatemala, most estates in San Marcos have their own washing stations, where coffee is partially dried in courtyards and then dried at low temperatures.

Acatenango Region

Acatenango is a very unique coffee-producing region in Guatemala. It is the smallest of Guatemala's eight coffee-producing regions, situated on the slopes of the Acatenango volcano, with an average altitude of 1,600 meters. Its soil is rich in volcanic mixtures, coming from fresh volcanic ash that frequently erupts from the nearby Fuego volcano.

The microclimate characteristic of this region is distinct seasons - in spring, farmers can sun-dry their coffee; in summer, abundant rainfall maintains humidity for coffee trees; and in winter, warm, humid sea breezes from the Pacific protect the coffee from cold.

New Oriente Region

New Oriente is Guatemala's youngest coffee-producing region. Here, rainfall is abundant, and it's perpetually shaded by clouds, with a climate similar to the Cobán rainforest region. In ancient times, it was a volcanic area, and the soil here is composed of metamorphic rocks, thus rich in minerals. Before starting coffee cultivation, New Oriente was once Guatemala's poorest region. Since the 1950s, farmers in the mountainous areas have relied on this naturally nutrient-rich land to begin coffee cultivation, and it has gradually blossomed with vitality, now becoming a rising star in Guatemala's coffee cultivation industry.

Coffee Varieties

Guatemala's coffee varieties are mainly Bourbon, Typica, Catuai, and Caturra, with small amounts of Yellow Bourbon, Geisha, and Pacamara. The varieties are quite diverse, but it's precious to maintain ancient Typica and Bourbon varieties. FrontStreet Coffee's Flora de Dios coffee bean variety is Caturra and Bourbon.

Grading Method

Although grading is based on altitude, often flavor determines the grade as well. Altitude above 1,300 meters is graded as "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB); 1,200-1,300 meters as "Hard Bean" (HB); and 900-1,050 meters as "Extra Prime Washed" (EPW).

Guatemala's Processing Methods

American coffee-producing countries mainly use washed processing methods, such as Colombia, Costa Rica, and others. Guatemala is no exception. What are the steps of washed processing? After coffee cherries are harvested, they are immediately sent to washing stations for processing. The coffee cherries are placed in water channels for flotation selection, aiming to select coffee cherries with sufficient density. Generally, cherries with short growth cycles lack density and will float on the water surface during the flotation stage, while cherries with sufficient density will sink below the water flow and move with the current to the next destination.

Next, coffee cherries are machine-processed to remove skin and pulp, and coffee beans with mucilage are placed in fermentation tanks for fermentation, using fermentation to decompose the mucilage layer. After fermentation, coffee beans are washed with clean water to wash away the decomposed mucilage layer and excess pulp.

Guatemala Coffee Bean Flavor

Guatemala coffee beans once enjoyed the reputation of being the world's best quality coffee beans. The strictly hard beans from here are full-bodied, deliciously balanced, and the coffee brewed from them is pure and rich. They have strong acidity, aromatic flavor with a slightly wild character, and can be consumed as single-origin or used for blending.

Guatemala strictly hard beans are known for their elegant, lively acidity, clean without impurities, distinct layers, as well as green apple acidity, berry fragrance, jasmine floral notes, orange peel aroma, green pepper notes, fruit sweetness and sourness, chocolate sweetness, and even smoky notes in the aftertaste.

Besides the special characteristics of Huehuetenango region coffee in Guatemala, there's also the Antigua region. The charm of Antigua lies in its balanced and pleasant fruit acidity and rich spice flavors. The coffee beans not only have smooth surfaces, high hardness, and good quality, but also feature a perfect combination of richness with acidity and sweetness, plus a hint of smoky flavor that emphasizes its depth and mystery. The smoky flavor is particularly unique. FrontStreet Coffee's bean list includes a Flora de Dios coffee bean from the Antigua region. The Flora de Dios coffee beans are washed processed and of varieties like Caturra and Catuai, featuring citrus, nuts, and cocoa aftertaste - overall refined.

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