Description
MORE INFO
Coffee Origin: Highlands of Western Guatemala, Central America
Coffee Certification: Fair trade Organic
This coffee is full bodied, velvety smooth with a touch of brightness and a clean finish. It displays a rich Swiss chocolate aroma, caramel, cashews and red grapefruit in the finish.
ROASTMASTER SUGGESTION: RICH MEDIUM ROAST
FOOD PAIRINGS
Apple Crisp Cheesecake, Fudge Brownies, Macaroons, Oatmeal with Apricots and Raisins, Waffles Florentine, Mushroom and Egg White Omelet, Sunshine Breakfast Cups, Buckwheat Noodle Salad, Paleo Omelet Muffins, Grilled Eggplant Chickpea Wraps, Confetti Cookie Bars, Summer Crunch Salad, Baklava Cheesecake Bars, Provolone Cheese Roll, Spicy Courgette Pitta Pockets, Quinoa and Vegetable Stuffed Peppers, Pumpkin Pie Roll-Up, Salted Carmelitas, Triple Layer Truffle Bars, Falafel Burgers, Mini Mojito Tarts, Spanish Rice & Prawn One-Pot, Banana Cream Pie, Mushroom & Spinach Risotto, Thai Chicken Cakes, Pulled Pork & Maple Mustard Slaw, Cinnamon Pecan Rolls, Sriracha Chicken Salad Sandwich, Seared Salmon Poke Bowl, Veggie and Quinoa Collard Wraps, Caprese Waffles
COUNTRY’S MAP
The Huehuetenango region is located on the pacific slopes in southwest Guatemala. This region is known to be one of the best coffee growing regions in all of Guatemala. It’s a large, strictly hard bean (SHB) coffee that is shade grown in clay, limestone and volcanic soil at an altitude between 5,000 – 6,300 feet above sea level. The coffee is all hand-picked and prepared using the wet method and sun dried outside on cement patios.
All of our Central American coffees are grade SHG and are of the highest quality specialty coffee available. This exceptional coffee is also Rainforest Alliance Certified. For a brighter taste experience, try this coffee in our Crisp Light Roast.
COFFEE IN GUATEMALA
Guatemala, approximately the size of Ohio, ranks second in the world (after Colombia) in the amount of high grade quality coffee in produces. It also is one of the most climatically diverse regions in the world. There are seven distinct types of Guatemalan Arabica coffees all varied based on soil, rainfall, altitude and temperature: Antigua, Fraijanes Plateau, Rainforest Coban, Highland Huehuetenango, Atitlan, Volcano San Marcos, and Oriente. For the most part, the coffee plantations are situated in valley’s or around volcanic mountains at altitudes varying from 500-5,000 also protected by wind.
Highland Huehuetenango
Highland Huehuetenango crosses the Cardillera de Los Cuchamatanes with regions higher than 11,800 feet. Coffee is planted in regions elevated from 5,000 – 6,500 feet, located on the border of Mexico. Hot and dry winds prevent frost that creates a unique microclimate. A mild temperature and a subtropical climate contribute to the coffee beans’ beautiful appearance and even maturation.
THE GROWERS: FINCA HUIXOC
Located in the Huehuetengango region, Finca Huixoc (pronounced “WE-hok”) is an estate that started growing coffee in 1940 by Jose Olivia Chavez and is currently operated by his grandson, Jose Alejandro Solis. In the small town of La Democracia, the estate has taken advantage of rich mountain soil and plentiful rainfall to produce what we think is an one of the most elegant and exciting shade grown Guatemalan coffees available. The coffee is certified by the Rainforest Alliance for the progressive social and ecological practices used in its production. During production, the coffee is hand sorted (also called European Processed) wet processed, and sun dried on cement patios. In Huehue; Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai coffee beans are grown.
COFFEE GRADING IN GUATEMALA
The Guatemalan grading system defines Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) as being coffee grown at elevations higher than 4,500 feet above sea level, and the Hard Bean (HB) grade as beans grown between 4,000 feet and 5,000 feet above sea level. Central Standard coffee is grown at altitudes below 2,300 feet above sea level while it is generally used more in commercial brands than elsewhere. The low temperatures and high altitudes of a Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) or Strictly High grown (SHG) grades aid in producing a slow maturing fruit as well as a harder, more dense bean. European Preparation (EP) is a intensive hand sorting process through coffee used to remove any unwanted or foreign material as the final step of the coffee process.
COUNTRY’S FLAG
Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue, with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) representing liberty and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles signifying Guatemala’s willingness to defend itself and a pair of crossed swords representing honor and framed by a laurel wreath symbolizing victory; the blue bands represent the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea; the white band denotes peace and purity.
Additional Resources:
https://www.royalny.com/http://www.equalexchange.coop/history-of-coffee-in-guatemala
http://www.coffeeresearch.org/coffee/guatemala.htm
http://www.lostdutchmancoffee.com/description/huixoc_coffee.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huehuetenango_Department
http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html
