What Makes Huehuetenango Coffee Different From Antigua Coffee?
Miralvalle Estate sits in the Huehuetenango highlands of Guatemala, where volcanic soil and valley cloud belts shape the cup. Founded by Benjamin Villatoro in 1970 and now run by Jorge Villatoro, the 30-hectare farm grows Bourbon, Catimor, and Caturra at 1,500 meters and produces a washed coffee with honey, wild ginger flower, sugarcane sweetness, and malic acidity.
The estate has taken Winner in the Huehuetenango highland competition three years running and appeared in Guatemala's Cup of Excellence four consecutive years, ranking 10th nationally in 2016. That record is why this lot reads as a reference point for the region, much as Antigua coffee does for its own valley.
The highlands of Huehuetenango in Guatemala, with their fertile volcanic soil and unique cloud belts formed by the surrounding valleys, give rise to specialty coffee with rich, layered flavors. This time, Front Street Coffee brings us the washed green Bourbon beans from Miralvalle Estate, founded by Benjamin Villatoro in 1970 and now carried on by Jorge Villatoro, which has achieved excellent results in the C.O.E. and Huehuetenango highland competitions for many consecutive years. This bean is a blend of Bourbon, Catimor, and Caturra varieties, grown at 1,500 meters, medium roast, presenting an elegant profile interweaving honey, wild ginger flower, sugarcane sweetness, and malic acidity. This article will provide a comprehensive analysis of this bean representing the Huehuetenango style, from estate background and terroir to flavor performance.
Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) · Guatemala Huehuetenango Finca Miralvalle Green Bourbon Miralvalle Estate Information
Front Street Guatemala Huehuetenango Miralvalle Estate Washed Coffee
GUATEMALA MILAVALLE
HUEHUETENANGO LA DEMOCRACIA
Origin: Huehuetenango, Guatemala
Variety: Bourbon / Catimor / Caturra
Estate: Miralvalle Estate
Altitude: 1,500 meters
Processing Method: Washed
Harvest and Processing Time: 2017
Roast Level: Medium Roast
Flavor Notes: Honey, Wild Ginger Flower, Sugarcane Sweetness, Malic Acidity
Miralvalle Estate
The estate's founder, Benjamin "Mincho" Villatoro, dedicated himself to producing special, refined coffee starting in 1970, when he established Finca Miralvalle—Miralvalle Estate—in the mountains of Huehuetenango. The estate covers 30 hectares, at an altitude of 1,500 to 1,900 meters, with annual rainfall of 1,800 millimeters, growing a mix of Bourbon and Caturra varieties.
Founder Benjamin passed away in 2013, and current estate owner Jorge Villatoro inherited Benjamin's legacy, continuing to strive for the flavor and quality of specialty coffee.
Since 2014, Miralvalle Estate has won "Winner" in the Huehuetenango highland coffee competition for 3 consecutive years, proving that Miralvalle coffee best represents the flavor of Huehuetenango.
At the same time, Miralvalle Estate has been listed in Guatemala's Cup of Excellence (C.O.E.) for 4 consecutive years.
In 2016, its C.O.E. ranking was 10th in all of Guatemala.
Guatemalan coffee grows in high-altitude cloud belts, where the large temperature difference between day and night keeps the coffee from growing too quickly (because coffee that grows too fast becomes softer and its flavor flatter). Combined with fertile volcanic soil, Guatemala's coffee-growing conditions are the most ideal among all Central American countries. Unlike coffee beans from other Central American countries, which tend to have a cleaner, more refreshing flavor, Guatemalan coffee shows more stylistic variation due to differences in origin altitude. The two major producing regions are Antigua, near the capital, and the Huehuetenango highlands in the northwest. These two regions dominate the world's impression of Guatemalan coffee: Antigua coffee has better body and a subtle smoky note, while the Huehuetenango highlands are distinctly characterized by delicate citrus acidity.
The Chinese translation of the place name Huehuetenango Highlands has a very elegant ring to it. Located in northwestern Guatemala, the highlands have fertile soil and ample rainfall, and the unique cloud belts created by the highland's bowl-shaped terrain are the best coffee-growing environment bestowed by heaven. As a result, the Huehuetenango highlands are renowned worldwide for producing coffee of outstanding quality. Most of the winning coffee beans in Guatemala's annual coffee competitions come from the Huehuetenango highlands, and they enjoy an excellent international reputation.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
