Guatemala Coffee Bean Classification Standards and Antigua Flower God Flavor Profile

Guatemala Coffee

Bordered by Mexico to the north, Honduras and El Salvador to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, Guatemala enjoys exceptional natural advantages. Tropical rainforests, volcanoes, fertile soil and varied climates make it an ideal place to grow coffee. The mountainous terrain, with an average elevation above 1,500 meters, lets Guatemala produce extremely hard beans with ease. The coffee is clean and lively, with richness, acidity and sweetness in perfect balance, lifted by a subtle smoky note that adds depth and a sense of mystery. Sitting at 14°38' north latitude, within the coffee belt between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, the country occupies the ideal band for coffee production, and coffee is an important local cash crop.

FrontStreet Coffee's La Flor from the Antigua region of Guatemala is medium roasted to bring out distinct berry flavors with a smoky finish.

Guatemala's Eight Coffee Regions

Each region yields a different flavor profile, but overall Guatemalan coffee shows a mild, mellow character with elegant aromas and a special, pleasant fruit-like acidity. The eight regions are: Antigua Classic, Huehuetenango, Rainforest Coban, Traditional Atitlan, Fraijanes Plateau, Volcanic San Marcos, Acatenango and New Oriente.

Coffee Varieties

Guatemala mainly cultivates Bourbon, Typica, Caturra (a natural mutation of Bourbon) and Catuai (a hybrid of Caturra and Mundo Novo).

Guatemala Coffee Processing Methods

Guatemalan coffee is primarily processed using the washed method.

Coffee Bean Classification by Altitude

The higher the altitude, the higher the density of the beans, and therefore the higher the grade of the green coffee.

SHB (Strictly Hard Bean): grown at altitudes between 1,500-1,700 meters;

HB (Hard Bean): grown at altitudes between 1,350-1,500 meters;

SH (Semi-Hard Bean): grown at altitudes between 1,200-1,350 meters;

Extra Prime: grown at altitudes between 1,000-1,200 meters;

Prime: grown at altitudes between 850-1,000 meters;

Good Washed: grown at altitudes between 700-850 meters.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Guatemala's washed profile, and the clean, layered cups it produces, have close cousins elsewhere on FrontStreet Coffee's menu. FrontStreet Coffee Gedingding is a washed Yirgacheffe from Gedingding village with clear jasmine florals, bright citrus acidity and a green-tea sweetness, a good example of how a careful washed process keeps a coffee transparent and lively.

FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Little Tomato takes washed processing further with Kenya's double-washed method, in which the wash is repeated to push the fruit forward. The result is cherry tomato, smoked plum, snow pear and black plum over a firm acidity, with yellow-sugar sweetness and a light green-tea finish, and a juicy body that stands apart from the lighter mouthfeel of many African coffees.

For a gentler, low-acid alternative, FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 shows the softer side of washed processing, with hazelnut, cream, chocolate and caramel balanced so evenly that no single note takes over. Any of these works well as a pour-over, and the higher-grown beans can take a slightly finer grind and a slower, steadier pour.