It’s Guatemala Season!
As the UK swelters into its fourth official heatwave, one other thing for me marks the advent of peak summer: the arrival of freshly harvested Guatemalan coffee.
Of course, for us Brits, consecutive weeks of hot weather bring with them the usual things as well, like failing infrastructure, declarations that England is "hotter than Barbados", and beaches blanketed in pink bodies.
With long days and humid nights, I quietly enjoy the feeling that the weather is distinctly Central American as I bask in the hot morning sun in my usual spot before the workday begins, drinking a big mug of my favourite new coffee, our Guatemala Santa Elisa.
While we carry blend-quality grades of Guatemala year-round, as an important component of our Award Winning house espresso blends Sussex Barn and Wolfie, higher quality specialty grade microlots only arrive at this time of year, and they are indeed worth the wait.
What is Guatemala Coffee?
The Guatemalan coffee industry is notable for its high-quality production, with the coffee beans originating from volcanic mountain regions such as Huehuetenango, Coban, Fraijanes, and Antigua.
The country is celebrated not only for its regional specialities but also for its SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) and HB (Hard Bean) coffee bean grades, and as mentioned, these are the grades we use in our house blends.
Coffee producers in Guatemala are dedicated to their craft, striving to improve the quality of their coffees despite facing challenges with local infrastructure. The nation has endured 36 years of civil war, which has had significant effects on its development. Although democracy and relative peace have been established, Guatemala still ranks low on the Latin American human development index.
Guatemalan Coffee vs Other Central American Coffees
Guatemala coffee is my favourite of the Central American coffees. For me, they have it all and are a perfect combination of all the things I love about Guatemala's neighbouring coffee origins, with the base notes of Brazil and Honduras but the acidity and complexity of Colombia and Peru. They are notable for their versatility, performing both as espresso and through filter methods, but each method brings out enough difference to justify trying them as both.
I firmly believe in a roasting philosophy that showcases the unique character of each individual coffee origin and then the individual work of the coffee producer. As roasters and baristas, I believe it's our job to bring those things to life and into the cups of our customers through our work. Guatemalan coffee as an origin always presents equal challenges and surprises in this endeavour due to the complexity of the coffee's cup profile. I notice new things in every cup and almost never settle on a fixed roasting profile.
What does Guatemalan coffee taste like?
With a combination of smallholder farms and larger estates, Guatemala primarily produces washed coffees. The flavour profiles of Guatemalan coffee range widely, showcasing notes of chocolate, cherries, citric acidity, sweetness, caramel, and nuts. These coffees are frequently favoured on cupping tables by green coffee traders for their complexity, richness, body, and mouthfeel. Try Edge Tea & Coffee’s Guatemalan coffee today!
Creating Partnerships to Deliver the Best Guatemalan Coffee
Los Volcanes Coffee
I'm particularly excited to be offering this coffee in partnership with Los Volcanes Coffee. Los Volcanes collaborates with coffee producers in Brazil and Guatemala, enhancing coffee quality by increasing farm productivity and fostering long-term relationships.
Their approach involves identifying the unique attributes of each coffee-producing area to optimise flavour and productivity. Los Volcanes implements programs designed to help producers better understand their growing conditions and processing methods, emphasising the relationship between people, plants, and soil to create a balanced ecosystem. Success is measured by the ability to replicate quality consistently year after year
Finca Santa Elisa Pachup
Finca Santa Elisa Pachup is an estate situated in the Acatenango region of Guatemala, near San Pedro Yepocapa, and lies west of the active Acatenango and Fuego Volcanoes. Covering a total area of 506 hectares, with 360 hectares dedicated to coffee cultivation, the estate significantly contributes to the local economy.
About Finca Santa Elisa Pachup
In 2017, despite its size, the farm faced challenges, producing only 700 quintales of cherries. However, following extensive renovations and innovative management practices, Finca Santa Elisa's production has surged to approximately 34,000 quintales of cherries.
This coffee lot is processed at the Los Volcanes Coffee mill in Antigua, known as Beneficio La Esperanza. Given the frequent ash deposits from Volcan de Fuego, meticulous washing of the cherries is crucial to avoid complications during processing. Finca Santa Elisa is actively experimenting with various coffee varieties, with Sarchimor, H1, and Tekisic being some favourites among Los Volcanes' selections.
We are pleased to offer a single-variety lot of H1 coffee, also known as Centroamericano, which is a hybrid of Sarchimor and Rume Sudan. After washing, pulping, and cleaning, the coffee is sun-dried on patios. The H1 coffee is exceptionally well-structured, showcasing a harmonious blend of flavours, acidity, body, mouthfeel, and finish that create a cup profile that is both characterful and satisfying
Edge Tea & Coffee’s Best Coffee of the Year so far?
It's my coffee of the year so far, and it will be hard to beat. There is only one coffee left to arrive, which could knock Guat off the top spot...
...watch this space for the reveal of what that could be.
For now, I hope you're pleased to see the return of Guatemala coffee to our offering as much as I am. As always, thanks for tuning in and do let us know what you think.
If you want to shop our other single origin coffee blends, explore our page and choose your perfect coffee! With 50% off your first order and 15% off subscriptions.
If you’d like to enjoy expertly roasted beans on a regular basis without the hands-on process, explore our coffee subscriptions and have freshly roasted coffee delivered straight to your door. Also, discover our Award Winning Coffee, we expect it will be your favourite too!
You can also see our craft in action by visiting the EDGE Café & Roastery in Ford, where our roasting team works daily to bring out the best in each batch.
Guatemala - Santa Elisa
From £10.00
