Guatemalan

Guatemala's regional variety is one of its most appealing qualities when it comes to coffee production. Across the 8 major microclimates, the overall character can best be describes as a rich, smooth earthiness that ranges from chocolatey to juicy.

REGION : San Mateo Ixtatán, Huehuetenango, Guatemala

VARIETY : Anacafe 14, Catimor, Sarchimo

PROCESS : Fully washed and sun dried

SOIL : Clay minerals

ALTITUDE : 1000 - 1700 masl 

ROAST LEVEL : 3/5

AROMA : Earthy

FLAVOR : Grapefruit, Sun-dried Tomato, Dark Chocolate, Dried Fruit

ACIDITY : Moderate

BODY : Full

WHY WE LIKE IT : Complex and easy-drinking

RECOMMENDED FOR : Someone who likes complex and well-rounded American coffee

There are plenty of obstacles to cultivating and exporting coffee from the department of Huehuetenango.  The terrain is rugged and the weather is extreme.  But coffee grows well here, and indigenous  families with farms that average just a few acres in size have organized themselves within a cooperative called Cooperativa Integral de Comercialización Nuevo Amanecer CICONA, R.L (CICONA) to overcome the obstacles.

Each family uses their own micro-mill to process their harvest, which allows for meticulous care in cherry selection, depulping, fermenting, and drying the coffee. CICONA has a centralized warehouse to store dried parchment until it is time to move the coffee across the country along rough roads to Guatemala City where the coffee is prepared for export.

Dried parchment is transported to a dry mill in Guatemala City managed by los Volcanes Coffee, which partners with CICONA to ensure quality control and traceability for the cooperatives coffee.  Mild weather in Guatemala City provides ideal conditions for storing parchment in the warehouse until it is time to export.  The mill is equipped with multiple pieces of equipment to sort green coffee typical in most dry mills, such as gravity beds, screens and electronic eyes.  The partnerships between CICONA and Los Volcanes has made this traditional Huehuetenango regional profile shine.