Guatemala
Eight regions, three volcanoes, one of the most complex cups in Central America.
At the cup
- Cupping notes: Dark chocolate, baking spice, citrus, full body
- Body: Full, complex
- Acidity: Medium, lively
- Roast level: Medium
At the farm
- Region: Antigua, Huehuetenango, Atitlán, Cobán, Acatenango (lot-dependent)
- Altitude: 1,300–2,000 MASL
- Harvest: November–March
- Soil: Volcanic — especially distinctive in Antigua and Acatenango
- Process: Fully washed
- Varietals: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuaí, Pache
The story
Guatemala packs more distinct coffee profiles into a small geography than almost any other country. Eight officially recognized growing regions, each shaped by a different volcano, microclimate, and soil signature. Antigua coffee — grown in the shadow of three volcanoes — is the most famous, prized for its body and spice complexity. Huehuetenango is high, bright, and citrusy. Cobán is rainy and earthy.
The country's regional appellation system, managed by Anacafé, makes traceability unusually strong here. Buy a Guatemalan coffee from a serious roaster and you can usually trace it back to a specific valley.
Our medium roast preserves Guatemala's complexity without sanding off its edges. Deep chocolate, subtle spice, just enough brightness to keep things interesting. This is a coffee that rewards drinkers who pay attention to what's in the mug.
Path to the Sea
Guatemala's coffee highlands drain mostly south and west to the Pacific via short, fast rivers — the Río Achiguate, Río Coyolate, Río Samalá. From a high Antigua farm, the Pacific is less than 100 miles away as the watershed flows.
Northern Huehuetenango and Cobán coffee follows the other direction, into the Río Usumacinta system, which crosses into Mexico before reaching the Gulf of Mexico — part of the Atlantic basin.
So Guatemalan coffee water mostly returns to the Pacific, with some traveling north to join the Gulf.
Shop the coffee
→ Molten Tide · Guatemala (medium roast, Fairtrade-eligible)
