Guatemala Coffee Regions with Volcanic Geological Soil | Flavor Characteristics & Brewing Suggestions

Professional Coffee Knowledge Exchange

For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

Introduction to Guatemala Coffee

Guatemala boasts tropical rainforests, volcanic geological soils, and diverse microclimates, which give Guatemalan coffee beans elegant and lively acidity, clean flavors without impurities, and well-defined coffee flavor profiles. FrontStreet Coffee recently procured several different Guatemalan coffee beans for cupping and evaluation, aiming to compare different varieties from Guatemala, understand the differences between each producing region, build a database, and select the coffee beans that best represent Guatemalan regional flavors for our shelves.

Geographical Information

Guatemala is centrally located between North and South America, holding an important position in Central America. As a country with numerous volcanoes, Guatemala's growing regions enjoy exceptional coffee cultivation conditions. The volcanoes provide fertile soil and rich minerals, combined with Guatemala's numerous microclimates and favorable natural conditions such as altitude.

Guatemalan coffee is typically grown at average altitudes above 1500m, with high altitudes making it easy to grow extremely hard beans. FrontStreet Coffee believes that Guatemalan coffee beans have elegant and lively acidity, clean flavors without impurities, and well-defined layers. The acidity of green apples, the aroma of berries, the fresh fragrance of jasmine, the citrusy aroma of orange peel, and the sweet aroma of chocolate as the main notes, with the aftertaste carrying a distinctive smoky flavor.

Growing Regions

Guatemala has eight major growing regions, divided into five volcanic regions and three non-volcanic regions. The non-volcanic regions include: Huehuetenango, Cobán, and Nuevo Oriente. The volcanic regions include: Atitlán, Antigua, Acatenango Valley, San Marcos, and Fraijanes Plateau.

Huehuetenango

The Huehuetenango region is located in the northwestern highlands of Guatemala, with growing altitudes reaching 1800-2100 meters, making it the highest altitude coffee-growing region in the country, known for producing excellent quality beans. Due to the numerous rivers and lakes throughout Guatemala, the Huehuetenango area has rich mountains and water resources, with a dry climate but abundant water sources. Additionally, the region has complete water infrastructure, so coffee is mostly processed using the washed method. Harvest period: January-April.

Cobán

The Cobán rainforest region shows significant differences compared to other Guatemalan coffee-growing regions. This area is shrouded in clouds and mist year-round, with abundant rainfall and a cool climate. The local soil composition contains limestone and clay. Influenced by the Atlantic basin and the tropical jungle climate extending northward, most coffee in this region is grown on gently rolling hills. The coffee characteristics in this area are distinctly different from other regions in Guatemala. The beans are full-bodied with bright and subtle acidity, carrying a faint wine-like fragrance. Altitude: 1300-1500m. Harvest period: December to March of the following year.

Nuevo Oriente

With abundant rainfall and year-round shade from cloud cover, Nuevo Oriente's climate is similar to Cobán with only minor differences. Formerly a volcanic region, the soil contains metamorphic rocks. The minerals in the soil are balanced by the abundant metamorphic rocks. Coffee cultivation here is also quite different from typical Guatemalan volcanic regions - Nuevo Oriente coffee grows in volcanic soil but without volcanic activity during the growing period. Nuevo Oriente is Guatemala's newest coffee-growing region, characterized by aromatic qualities, noticeable acidity, and quite good texture. The growing altitude in this region is 1,300-1,700 meters, with soil consisting of metamorphic rock and clay. Harvest period: December to March of the following year.

Atitlán

One of Guatemala's four major volcanic coffee regions. Atitlán's soil is among the most fertile organic matter. Ninety percent of coffee is grown along extremely steep slopes, extending all the way to Lake Atitlán, which is the largest and most famous of Guatemala's many volcanic lakes. The coffee from this region is fragrant and rich, with intoxicating aromas, sweet-acidic flavors, and full-bodied coffee beans. Growing altitude: 1,500-1,700 meters. Harvest period: December to March of the following year.

Acatenango

Located west of Antigua, with maximum altitude reaching 2000m. Winter temperatures are low, but fortunately, the slopes facing the Pacific Ocean welcome warm sea breezes, preventing frost and bringing abundant moisture. The coffee flavor in this region is similar to Antigua, with slightly lower fruit acidity, which is also the biggest difference between this region and Antigua.

San Marcos

This region is the warmest coffee-growing area in Guatemala. This area has abundant rainfall, with the most prolonged rainy season and earliest flowering period. The rainy season peaks from June to September, sometimes with torrential downpours, with some areas receiving up to 197 inches of annual rainfall. The coffee from this region has noticeable acidity, full body, and a clear, light floral fragrance. Growing altitude: 1,400-1,800 meters. Harvest period: December to March of the following year.

Fraijanes Plateau

The volcanic altitude in this area is quite high, and the soil contains rich pumice. Fraijanes Plateau is still an active volcanic zone, so the coffee from this region has characteristics quite similar to Antigua. However, abundant rainfall, high and variable humidity, and large temperature differences give Fraijanes Plateau a very different flavor profile. Fraijanes Plateau coffee contains quite elegant aromas, mild and rich overall texture, and special, pleasant acidity. Growing altitude: 1,400-1,800 meters. The soil in this region is volcanic pumice soil, with a plateau climate. Harvest period: December to February of the following year.

Coffee Varieties

Guatemala primarily grows Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, and Catuai.

Bourbon

Bourbon is a natural variant of Typica. When coffee cherries mature, they present a wine-red color, and the coffee beans are relatively round. Bourbon grown at high altitudes typically has better aroma and bright acidity, with wine-like flavors when tasted.

Typica

Typica shows excellent flavor performance and is recognized as a specialty coffee variety, but yields are extremely low and it's susceptible to rust disease, requiring more intensive human management. Typica coffee originates from southeastern Ethiopia and Sudan and is the most widely cultivated coffee variety in the Western Hemisphere. The plants are relatively robust but not tolerant to strong light. Typica's top leaves are bronze-colored, earning it the name "bronze-top coffee."

Caturra

Caturra is a natural variant of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its plant is not as tall as Bourbon, being more compact. Due to its Bourbon heritage, it has relatively weak disease resistance but higher yields than Bourbon. Although discovered in Brazil, Caturra is not suitable for growing there, so it wasn't cultivated on a large scale in Brazil. Instead, it became widely popular in Central and South America, with large-scale cultivation in countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

Catuai

Catuai is a coffee variety artificially hybridized from Caturra and Mundo Novo. Catuai inherits Caturra's compact plant structure, not requiring shade, making it easy to grow and convenient to harvest. It also has better resistance to natural disasters than Mundo Novo. In terms of flavor, it has good acidity. Catuai generally comes in both red and yellow fruit types.

Coffee Processing Methods

Guatemalan coffee beans are primarily processed using the washed method.

Washed Processing Steps:

1. Screen and remove impurities mixed in with the coffee cherries.
2. Remove the coffee pulp and outer skin.
3. Send to fermentation tanks for 18-36 hours of fermentation to remove the mucilage layer attached to the parchment.
4. Clean thoroughly before drying.

Through cupping and comparison of several Guatemalan coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee found that the Flor de Antigua from the Antigua region best represents the flavor profile of Guatemalan growing regions.

Region: Antigua Region
Altitude: 1200-1600m
Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra
Processing Method: Washed Processing
Grade: SHB

FrontStreet Coffee's Roasting Recommendations

This batch of Flor de Antigua coffee procured by FrontStreet Coffee consists of Bourbon and Caturra varieties. Bourbon is a natural variant of Typica, ranking alongside Typica as ancient, high-quality varieties. The beans are slightly smaller and rounder than Typica. Caturra is a natural variant of Bourbon, with fresh lemon-citrus acidity in flavor, though slightly less sweet than Typica and Bourbon. FrontStreet Coffee's roaster decided to use a medium-light roast for these coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee's Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Guide

Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Grind Size: Fine sugar size / 20-mesh sieve with 80% pass-through
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Coffee Dose: 15 grams

FrontStreet Coffee uses a segmented extraction method, which is a three-stage pour: 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, followed by a small circular pour to 125g, then waiting for the water level to drop before slowly pouring again with even speed, keeping the water level not too high, and stopping at 225g. Total extraction time is 2 minutes and 3 seconds (including bloom time).

Brewing Flavor: Berry acidity, citrus, light chocolate, rich layering, smooth mouthfeel.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat account of FrontStreet Coffee, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473