Bean of the Month

Guatemala Rio Azul is a genuine crowd-pleaser that balances comforting sweetness with lively fruit clarity. Sourced from the legendary Huehuetenango growing region, this fully washed lot opens with warm, classic aromatics of chocolate, cacao, and malt. In the cup, golden honeycomb sweetness pairs effortlessly with dark grape, prune, and tropical fruit notes, lifted by a sparkling green apple acidity and finishing with a crisp touch of lime candy.

The Tasting Profile Flavour Honeycomb & Dark Grape Aroma Chocolate & Malt Finish Lime Candy Sweet Acidity Sparkling Green Apple Body Juicy & Smooth

A Co-operative Legacy Built Across Generations

The Rio Azul co-operative was founded in 1967 when visionary growers from the renowned Huehuetenango region joined together to share technical knowledge and build collective processing infrastructure. Today Rio Azul supports a community of 186 farming families who continue to build on that proud heritage.

With an average farm size of just two acres, every metre of land is cared for with intense precision. Food crops of corn and beans grow alongside heirloom Caturra and Bourbon coffee trees under natural shade canopies. Local beehives placed throughout the farms harvest nectar from the flowering coffee blossoms, providing natural cross-pollination while generating a secondary honey income for local families.

High-Altitude Specialty Quality

Farmed between 1,800 and 2,000 metres above sea level, the cool mountain nights slow cherry development, packing the beans with dense sugars and organic acids. On our cupping table, this lot achieved a strong specialty score of 84.5/100, landing its highest marks across the flavour and sweetness categories.

Brewing Recommendations

Guatemala Rio Azul performs exceptionally well across various extraction styles:

1 Espresso with Milk: Sweet honeycomb, chocolate, and malt flavours lead the extraction, pairing effortlessly with textured milk to create a rich flat white or latte with gentle, rounded acidity. 2 Filter & Pour-Over (V60 / Chemex): A lighter roast profile accentuates the sparkling green apple and tropical fruit notes, producing a bright, translucent cup with clean sweetness. 3 Grind Fresh Daily: Fresh on-demand grinding preserves the delicate aromatic oils and ensures clean extraction.

Roasted Fresh Daily in Eagle Farm

November's Bean of the Month is roasted fresh daily in Brisbane and dispatched quickly to guarantee peak cup quality across Australia.