Guatemala, as an important producing country of specialty coffee in Central America, nurtures distinctively styled coffees thanks to its volcanic soil and diverse microclimates. This article centers on El Injerto Estate, offering an in-depth introduction to the cupping performance of its Ruby Geisha EI02-02 lot, the origin and spread of the Geisha variety, the history of El Injerto Estate and its bidding auction system, as well as the origins and glorious track record of the Pacamara variety. It also presents Front Street Coffee's roasting recommendations for two Guatemalan beans, Huehuetenango and Flor del Café, along with V60 three-pour brewing parameters, helping coffee lovers gain a comprehensive understanding of Guatemalan coffee's flavor characteristics and producing-region stories.

FrontStreet Coffee: Guatemala · Ruby Geisha Coffee EI02-02 Lot

Name: Ruby Geisha Coffee - Dry Process EI02-02 Lot GESHA RUBY DRY PROCESS EI02-02

Estate: El Injerto EI Injerto Estate

Certification: Rain Forest Alliance and CARBON NEUTRAL Rain Forest Alliance and CARBON NEUTRAL

Award Record: 2017 COE 3rd Place

Lot: EI02-02

Harvest Date: January to March 2018

Variety: Malawi Geisha MALAWI GESHA

Growing Altitude: 1710 masl

Average Temperature: 13ºC to 26ºC

Rainfall: Average approximately 1500 mm

Growing Location: Huehuetenango, Guatemala Huehuetenango, Guatemala

Historical Origin:

This precious exotic seed was personally gifted by a close friend from Malawi. To extend the seed's storage life, the traditional method of burying the seeds in local soil and ash was used. The beans of this variety are smaller than those of conventional Geisha, but when the fruit ripens and is ready for harvest, it takes on a deep ruby-red color—this is precisely the origin of its name—and the plant is also slightly shorter than conventional Geisha.

Cupping Flavor:

This bean's flavor layers and complexity are both quite outstanding. The dry and wet aromas contain blueberry, raspberry, cherry, and floral notes, interwoven with a hint of spice and the fermented wine-like aroma characteristic of dry-process beans. On the palate, jasmine, melon and fruit notes, and a fermented sweet wine-like aroma stand out prominently, followed by a chocolate-like texture, with a faint mint note emerging in the finish, making the whole cup richer; after cooling, it reveals a flavor connection of orange and chocolate.

Geisha Coffee

Geisha, also known as Gesha, is an extremely rare coffee variety that only reveals its exceptional quality under very specific conditions. It was first discovered in Ethiopia's Kaffa Forest and first recorded in the wild near the town of Gesha in the 1930s. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and possesses a rich gene pool of varieties, which is why many Ethiopian coffee beans are simply labeled as heirloom varieties in the variety column.

The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 in the Geisha Forest of Ethiopia. At the time, it received little attention locally and was even used as a windbreak, and it was not until the emergence of Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama that its fate changed. Afterwards, Geisha was sent to the Kenya Coffee Research Institute, introduced to Uganda and Tanzania in 1936, brought to Costa Rica in 1953, and introduced to Panama in 1970. Ultimately, Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda separated it from other varieties and entered it in competition, winning the BOP competition in 2004 and achieving instant fame; only then did Geisha enter the public eye and become a standout in specialty coffee.

Geisha coffee originates from Ethiopia and rose to fame at Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda. Panama Geisha has citrus and fruit-like sweetness without acidity, along with honey and a rich mouthfeel, making it a widely loved coffee. Compared with Ethiopian coffee, Geisha is more juicy, like a cup of fruit tea—very delicious and memorable. In addition to Panama Geisha, FrontStreet Coffee also offers Costa Rica Mirazu Geisha blend coffee, Colombia Hanami Geisha coffee, and others. Geisha from each producing region has different flavors; although Panama Geisha is the most acclaimed, Geisha from other producing regions also performs excellently, and because each place has different terroir characteristics, each has its own strengths.

Geographical Environment

Guatemala has volcanic soil, and its coffee beans naturally carry a unique texture in their flavor, which is also where the specialty of Guatemalan coffee lies. Guatemala has eight coffee-producing regions in total, covering diverse terrains such as tropical rainforests, volcanic geology, and highland valleys, nurturing a diversity of coffee flavors. Among them, the two major producing regions of Antigua and Huehuetenango are the most famous. El Injerto Estate has always played a pioneering role in Central American specialty coffee. About 50 years ago, it was one of the first estates to focus on single varieties and vertically integrated production of high-quality coffee.

El Injerto Estate has always played a pioneering role in Central American specialty coffee. In the COE competition, they won 16 awards within 11 years. El Injerto Estate has a total area of 447 hectares, most of it located between 1,500 and 2,000 meters above sea level, planted with coffee, fruit, staple food crops, and ornamental plants. The remaining hectares are preserved as ancient primary forest; the estate has a special temperature curve and enjoys clean water from mountain springs.

In addition, this place forms a perfect habitat for wildlife, placing the cultivation of coffee trees within a natural ecological environment. The estate's annual rainfall is about 1,800-2,000 mm, with relative humidity of 75%. The soil is deep volcanic soil with good drainage and rich organic matter, producing beautiful coffee cherries.

Jesus Aguirre acquired this estate in 1874. He initially grew sugarcane to make panela, and corn, beans, and tobacco were also grown on the estate. Around 1900, he began growing coffee and called this cultivation area "El Injerto," a name derived from a local fruit. From then on, El Injerto Estate has been a leader in quality and innovation in the Guatemalan coffee industry.

Huehuetenango / El Injerto Estate

Among Guatemala's three non-volcanic coffee-producing regions, Huehuetenango is the highest in altitude and also the driest. El Injerto Estate is located on the Huehuetenango plateau, a famous producing region in Guatemala, and the Aguirre family has grown coffee there since 1900; the estate's name "Injerto" comes from the name of a local fruit.

El Injerto Estate places special emphasis on ecological protection and organic cultivation techniques, implementing strict quality control to ensure the quality of green coffee beans. Through Aguirre's efforts, El Injerto Estate has also earned Rainforest Alliance certification, and since 2002 it has been a frequent winner in many international coffee competitions.

El Injerto Estate, which has won multiple COE championships, is located on the Huehuetenango plateau. The estate began growing coffee in 1900 and is managed by the Aguirre family. A large area of primary rainforest is preserved on the estate, with extensive shade coverage from plants, and the average temperature is around 18 to 22 degrees Celsius. Extensive plant shade coverage, high-altitude cultivation, ample sunlight, and pleasant temperatures provide an exceptionally favorable living environment for coffee cultivation.

As one of the most famous coffee-producing regions, the coffee it produces has notes of berries, lemon peel, and fruity acidity; compared with Ethiopian coffee, its mouthfeel is relatively fuller.

About the Pacamara Variety

It became world-famous at the 2004 Cup of Excellence (COE) and repeatedly took championships within 2-3 years. The Pacamara produced by Guatemala's El Injerto Estate set a sky-high price of 80.2 US dollars per pound of green beans in 2008. Origin of the variety and name: it is a variety derived from the Maragogype and Pacas, taking the first four letters of Maragogype and Pacas to form Pacamara; it is an excellent coffee variety developed in El Salvador. The coffee beans are very large, close to Maragogype at about 21-22 screen size, and it has been an excellent coffee variety in Central and South America in these two years.

Although the appearance of the Pacamara variety is still quite similar to its cousin, the Maragogype. Since 2006, COE has cupped Pacamara from 30 estates, and some flavors are truly superstar-level, such as 2006 Honduras champion Santa Martha, 2007 El Salvador third place Cerro Negro (Black Mountain Estate), and Guatemala CoE regular champion estate El Injerto, as well as 2008 El Salvador runner-up Pacamaral Estate. One by one, these are all excellent representatives of Pacamara, but they are all award-winning lots, so the prices are very expensive.

Self-Organized Bidding Auction

El Injerto is also one of the few estates that organizes its own online bidding, on par with the Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda auction, and it is a must-attend event for green bean traders worldwide. Starting in 2011, El Injerto offered its highest-quality coffee lots for bidding, called the "El Injerto Estate Bidding Auction"; these lots are carefully handled from variety cultivation, planting, and harvesting all the way to post-processing.

Unique Coffee Bean Processing Method

El Injerto hires workers at twice the local wage to hand-select fully red coffee cherries. It has an independent wet processing facility; after depulping and removing the skin, the beans undergo two rounds of size and grade separation, then are washed with clean mountain spring water, then enter clean tanks, undergo fermentation for 2 days and sun-drying for 7 days, and are stored in the warehouse for at least 45 days before being sent for professional cupping.

Front Street Roasting Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee has two Guatemalan coffees: one is the daily-drinker Huehuetenango coffee, whose varieties are Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai; the other is the single-origin Guatemala Flor del Café coffee, whose varieties are Caturra and Bourbon. Guatemalan coffee beans themselves have the nutty and cocoa-toned character unique to Latin America, with a slight floral fragrance and soft fruity acidity. Front Street adopts a medium-light roast profile, preserving more floral and fruity aromas, with clean and bright acidity.

Front Street Brewing Parameters for Guatemalan Coffee:

Guatemalan coffee beans are medium-light roasted; lightly roasted beans have a lower extraction rate of coffee solids than dark-roasted beans, so Front Street recommends using a faster-flow V60 dripper, a higher water temperature, and a finer grind.

Front Street uses a medium-fine grind / fine granulated sugar coarseness (80% passing through a Chinese No. 20 standard sieve). Use 15 g of coffee powder, then brew with a V60 dripper, 91°C water temperature, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and a three-pour pouring technique.

Use three-stage extraction, with twice the coffee powder weight in water for blooming, that is, 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom. The reason a blooming process is needed is to allow the coffee grounds to release their internal carbon dioxide gas, thereby making the later extraction more stable. Pour in a small stream in circles until 125 grams, then pause, continue pouring until 225 grams and stop; after the water in the dripper has dripped through, remove the dripper. Start timing from the beginning of pouring; the extraction time is 2'00". Next, pick up the entire cup of coffee and swirl it to mix evenly, then pour it into a cup for tasting.

Flavor characteristics of Guatemala Huehuetenango coffee: Citrus and berry acidity, lemon peel, nutty aroma in the middle, and a tea-like aftertaste.

Flavor characteristics of Guatemala Flor del Café coffee: Berry acidity, citrus, slight chocolate, rich layers, and a smooth mouthfeel.

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