Guatemala is an important specialty coffee-producing country in Central America, with eight distinctive coffee regions distributed across its territory. In April 2010, Mr. Eduardo Ambrocio of the Guatemalan Coffee Company introduced these regions in detail to an audience at the SCAA Houston exhibition and gave away coffee samples from all eight regions. Based on these sample materials, this article examines one by one the altitude, soil, climate, and processing methods of the eight major regions—Acatenango Valley, Antigua, Traditional Atitlán, Rainforest Cobán, Fraijanes Plateau, Highland Huehue, New Oriente, and Volcanic San Marcos—and includes the cup profile characteristics of the coffee from each region. For friends who love Guatemalan coffee, Front Street Coffee will also recommend a few beans worth paying attention to, helping everyone more intuitively experience the flavor differences among the various regions.

In April 2010, at the SCAA Houston exhibition, Mr. Eduardo Ambrocio of the Guatemalan Coffee Company systematically introduced the coffee regions of Guatemala to the audience present.

We hereby thank Mr. Ambrocio for generously providing coffee samples from Guatemala's eight major regions.

Guatemala's Eight Major Coffee Regions

1. Acatenango Valley®:

This region has an altitude of up to 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), with dense shade and a unique ecological environment. The nearby Fuego volcano erupts continuously, enriching the local coarse, sandy soil with a variety of minerals. The temperate sea breezes blowing in from the Pacific and the climate with four distinct seasons allow the coffee produced here to be dried by sunlight and processed according to family methods passed down through generations.

Acatenango Valley® cup profile:

[Note] Frag/Aroma: fragrance/aroma Flavor: flavor Acidity: acidity Balance: balance

Body: body Aftertaste: aftertaste Overall: overall (impression)

2. Antigua Coffee®:

Fertile volcanic soil, relatively low air humidity, abundant sunshine, and cool nighttime temperatures together form the climatic characteristics of the Antigua region. This valley is surrounded by three volcanoes: Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. Among them, Fuego is one of Guatemala's three most active volcanoes, and the volcanic ash from its frequent eruptions replenishes the Antigua soil with a large amount of minerals. The volcanic pumice in the soil has good water-retention capacity, compensating for the region's relatively low rainfall. In addition, the shade in this region is especially dense, which can to some extent resist occasional frosts and protect coffee plants from cold damage.

Antigua Coffee® cup profile

Full wet aroma, good balance, prominent sweetness, and a light, elegant mouthfeel.

3. Traditional Atitlán®

Atitlán is one of Guatemala's five volcanic coffee regions, and its soil has the highest organic matter content among the five volcanic regions. Ninety percent of Traditional Atitlán coffee is grown on the steep volcanic slopes along the shores of Lake Atitlán, and the daily breeze stirring the lake surface plays a key role in shaping the local microclimate. This area has accumulated mature cultivation and processing techniques through long-term practice.

Traditional Atitlán® cup profile:

Pleasant aroma, bright acidity, and full body.

4. Rainforest Cobán®

The Cobán region is cloudy and rainy year-round, with a cool climate. The vast majority of Rainforest Cobán coffee is grown in the area's markedly undulating, mist-filled mountains, and the soil is strongly influenced by the limestone and clay of the Atlantic Basin. Cobán has only two seasons a year: the rainy season and the more-rainy season.

Rainforest Cobán® cup profil

5. Fraijanes Plateau®:

This region has volcanic soil, higher altitude, abundant rainfall, and wide humidity fluctuations. The volcanic ash erupted by Pacaya, Guatemala's most active volcano, provides an important source of minerals here. The dry season has ample sunshine, and although there is thick fog and heavy dew in the early morning, it dissipates quickly. For this reason, all coffee in this region is processed by full sun drying.

Fraijanes Plateau® cup profile

Bright and stable acidity, rich aroma, and delicate body.

6. Highland Huehue®:

Among Guatemala's three non-volcanic coffee regions, Highland Huehue is the driest in climate and the highest in altitude. The dry, hot winds from Mexico's Tehuantepec Plateau protect the local coffee from frost, and the upper limit for coffee cultivation altitude can reach 2,000 meters (6,500 feet). Because of its remote location, every coffee farmer must process the coffee themselves; fortunately, local streams are numerous, and a small processing plant can be built almost anywhere.

Highland Huehue® cup profile

High and pleasant acidity, outstanding body, with a wine-like aftertaste.

7. New Oriente®:

Coffee in this region has been grown entirely by smallholder farmers since the 1950s, and today every farmer in the mountains is an independent coffee production unit. This was once Guatemala's most remote and impoverished area, but it has now taken on new vitality. New Oriente is rainy and cloudy, and in ancient times it was a volcanic area. Its soil evolved from volcanic metamorphic rock, is rich in minerals, and has balanced nutrients, making it different from other volcanic coffee regions.

New Oriente® cup profile

Balanced mouthfeel, full body, with chocolate notes.

8. Volcanic San Marcos®:

San Marcos is the hottest region among Guatemala's eight major coffee regions, and it also has the highest rainfall, reaching 200 inches (5,000 millimeters). The rainy season arrives earlier than in other regions, and the coffee trees flower correspondingly earlier. As in Guatemala's other remote regions, coffee in Volcanic San Marcos is grown and processed by smallholders themselves. Because of the frequent rainfall during the rainy season, most coffee is first pre-dried in the sun and then finished using Guardiola dryers.

Volcanic San Marcos® cup profile

The aroma and mouthfeel have subtle floral notes, with pronounced acidity and good body.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.