Atitlán - Gesha - Guatemala

Region: San Juan la Laguna, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Tasting Notes: honeysuckle, honey dew, silver needle white tea, granny smith apple finish
Tasting Notes: pink lady apple, raspberry, Rainier cherry, sugar cane juice
Producers: AproCafé Atitlán Growers Association
*Association-owned experimental plot in San Juan la Laguna
Varieties: Gesha
Process: Washed (36 hours in cherry, 24 hours depulped fermentation)/ Natural
Altitude: 1,600- 1,700 MASL

Recommended Brewing Parameters:

Espresso: 1:2.0 - 1:2.1 (17.5-18g in, 35-38g out, 25-28 seconds)

Filter: 1:14.2 

ground at about 900 microns

196˚F water 

We’re excited to have four different coffees from the talented producers of AproCafé Association from Atitlán this year: a washed community lot, a natural microlot, a single-producer microlot, and this beautiful Gesha, available in both washed and natural expressions. Each offers a different window into the creativity, diversity, and care within this remarkable association.

Along the southern shores of Lake Atitlán, where mist drifts between volcanic peaks, the farmers of AproCafé Atitlán (Asociación de Productores de Café de Atitlán) cultivate coffee with deep respect for their land and community. The association is made up of 54 smallholder producers who farm across a wide range of elevations, from 1,560 meters along the lakeshore to more than 2,200 meters in the surrounding highlands. That diversity, combined with the producers' willingness to experiment with varieties and processing, creates an impressive spectrum of coffees.

Most of AproCafé’s coffee comes from individual family plots, but the group also tends a few collectively owned parcels where new varieties and techniques can be explored. A few years ago, they planted a tiny plot of Gesha just outside San Juan la Laguna. Production from that original plot remains incredibly limited—just one to two bags per harvest—but several members have since planted Gesha at higher elevations, with those trees beginning to produce cherries in the 2025–2026 harvest.

This Gesha is a beautiful example of that spirit of experimentation. Floral, vibrant, and expressive, it offers a glimpse into what these producers are exploring as they invest in new varieties and continue refining their craft. We’re excited to share both the washed and natural expressions with you and to support the curiosity and care that make coffees like this possible.

We’re grateful to continue building our relationship with AproCafé Atitlán and to share not just one coffee, but a collection that reflects the breadth of this community and the many ways they are shaping the future of coffee at Lake Atitlán.

*If you would like this coffee ground, please specify brew method in comments.