Specialty Coffee Studies - Guatemala Antigua Coffee

The Origins and Characteristics of Guatemalan Coffee

Coffee was first introduced to Guatemala in 1750 by Jesuit priests, and German colonists developed the country's coffee industry in the late 19th century. Most production today takes place in the south of the country.

Guatemala has seven main coffee growing regions: Antigua, Coban, Atitlan, Huehuetenango, Fraijanes, Oriente and San Marcos. Each has its own climate variations, which give the beans of every area a distinct character. Taken as a whole, Guatemalan coffee has a gentle, rich texture, an elegant aroma and a pleasant fruit-like acidity that truly earns it the name aristocrat of coffees.

Coffee has brought Guatemala considerable acclaim, especially FrontStreet Coffee's Antigua Coffee. It balances acidity, sweetness and body perfectly, with a hint of smokiness that heightens its mystery. Once you taste it, you will have every reason not to look elsewhere for a substitute. (Because of this distinctive charcoal-roasted aroma, FrontStreet Coffee's Antigua Coffee is also known as "cigarette coffee.")

FrontStreet Coffee's Guatemala Antigua Flor de Cafe

FrontStreet Coffee's Antigua "Flor de Cafe" is the finest of the Antigua coffees and belongs to the renowned La Minita group. It is produced at the famous Antigua mill Las Pastores Beneficio.

"Flor de Cafe" comes from the high-altitude heart of the Antigua volcanic region. Costa Rica's famous La Minita estate contributes the industry's highest standards of cultivation and processing: it sends specialists directly to Antigua to take part in quality control and commissions Pastores, Antigua's largest and best-equipped wet mill, to handle post-harvest processing to the highest standard.

Under La Minita's quality-control staff, who supervise green bean processing and cupping, strict procedures govern everything from buying coffee cherries to washing, sun-drying and drying. It is no surprise, then, that this coffee performs extraordinarily well.

"Flor de Cafe" lives up to its name, with beans of beautiful appearance. Once brewed, it reveals delicate floral notes and sweet fruit aromas. On the palate you can feel cocoa bitterness and caramel sweetness, with light smokiness and an obvious red-wine aftertaste. The overall taste is clean and bright.

The Global Impact of Guatemalan Coffee

Today, some of Guatemala's finest coffee is exported to Japan, where each cup sells for 3-4 US dollars. Guatemala has also established a Specialty Coffee Association and gives these high-quality coffees its fullest support and attention.

These efforts quickly bore fruit. From October 2006 to May 2007, Guatemala's coffee exports accounted for 3.5% of total world coffee exports, making it the world's fifth-largest coffee exporting country. The growth of Guatemala's coffee industry has benefited not only local growers but coffee lovers worldwide.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Balanced, medium-roast coffees like this Antigua are the easiest to love, and FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 is a masterclass in that style. It blends acidity, bitterness, sweetness and aroma into one seamless whole, with chocolate, roasted nut, cream and caramel notes, and it earns the title "coffee emperor" among connoisseurs. For a softer, everyday medium roast with a similar balance, FrontStreet Brazil Queen Estate offers cream, peanut and chocolate over a smooth, low-acid body.