Coffee Growing Characteristics and History of Guatemala's San Marcos Region, Guatemala Coffee Flavor Profile Description

Guatemala is renowned for producing high-quality coffee. It is one of the most climatically diverse regions in the world, with rich volcanic soil that is exceptionally suitable for coffee cultivation.

Guatemala has eight coffee-producing regions, with San Marcos being the oldest, characterized by abundant rainfall and a warm climate. Let's explore this region, its coffee profile, and commonly used processing methods.

Microclimate Zone

Located in the western mountainous region of the country, San Marcos is known in Guatemala as "the place where volcanoes awaken." It is home to Tajumulco, the highest volcano in Central America, as well as several other volcanoes.

The hilly terrain and moisture from the Pacific Ocean create pleasant microclimates. With Guatemala's two highest volcanoes—Tajumulco and Tacaná—along the southern Pacific coast and the Sierra Madre de Chiapas mountain range, San Marcos is unique among regions for its varied climate conditions.

The rainy season begins here in mid-April and continues until mid-November. This means coffee plants in San Marcos flower earlier than in other regions. The region's humidity ranges between 70-80%, with elevations spanning 4,600-6,000 feet. Coffee is cultivated at altitudes between 1,300 to 1,800 meters.

Unique Acidity of San Marcos Coffee

Coffees from this region exhibit pronounced acidity and a pleasant body with delicate floral notes. Compared to coffees from Huehuetenango and Antigua, those from San Marcos are often overlooked. However, due to the region's high altitude, abundant rainfall, and the rich mineral content in the soil from centuries of volcanic ash, San Marcos coffees are celebrated for their distinctive acidity.

Coffees from San Marcos display refined floral aromatics in both fragrance and flavor, characteristics attributed to the Pacific Ocean's influence and the region's unique microclimate.

The coffee varieties cultivated in San Marcos include Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai as specialty beans, while commercial varieties such as Robusta, Villa Sarchi, and Icatu are also grown.

Coffee Production and Processing in San Marcos

Like most regions in Guatemala, coffee farms in San Marcos are small. Hand-picked coffee is the standard here. According to Anacafé's Green Book, 98% of Guatemala's coffee is shade-grown, and most coffee from this region is washed Arabica.

The washed processing method highlights the coffee's acidity. Shade cultivation allows the beans to mature more slowly, developing sweeter, more complex flavors. It also supports a more diverse ecosystem.

Most producers we partner with focus on growing shade-grown, fully washed coffee. The coffee we source from two major producers in the region emphasizes using local spring water for depulping, followed by drying on patios or in low-heat dryers, depending on the duration of the rainy season.

Rainfall during harvest season is unpredictable, making it normal for producers here to complete coffee drying in mechanical dryers.

Guatemala also produces small quantities of other processing types. While natural and honey processed coffees are not as popular in Guatemala as in other Central American countries like Costa Rica, these processing methods do create distinctive cup profiles with pineapple and blueberry notes. FrontStreet Coffee predicts these processing types will become more popular in the future.

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