Guatemalan Coffee

Guatemalan coffee grows across a chain of volcanic highlands — Antigua, Atitlán and Acatenango in the centre, Huehuetenango along the Mexican border, Cobán in the cloud forest, and the smaller regions of Jalapa and Santa Rosa to the east — mostly on family farms and small estates between about 1,300 and 2,000 metres. Bourbon and Caturra are the backbone, with Pache, Typica and Pacamara alongside. The cup is classically balanced: milk and dark chocolate, red apple and soft citrus, caramel sweetness and a clean, rounded body.

Almost everything is fully washed and sun-dried on patios, which keeps the cup clean and the structure clear. That makes Guatemalan coffee one of the most dependable espresso origins there is, and the higher, brighter lots from Huehuetenango make a sweet, precise filter cup too.