Pacific coast and highest picks: coffee characteristics in Guatemala

If you travel South of Guatemala, your senses will be surprised with many and different experiences. Beginning with rare and strange aromas that if combined with pouring rain, become even more indescribable.  Processing rubber, sugar, banana leaves, wet soil are just some of them. An orchestra of cicadas and crickets always accompany the journey.

It is along this Pacific Coast in Guatemala, where all the Primes and Extra Primes (with the little washed Robustas) are grown (from 800 to 900 MASL).  Farms that produced these types, used to be the biggest of all the country and used to produce the major percentage of the production.  These coffees are also washed and dried. They begin their harvest around September and end in October.   


Aroma, body and acidity coffee characteristics are less intense and pronounced than higher grown.  Coffee connoisseurs recommend these types for single origin or espresso blends.  They contribute to improve mouth feel coffee characteristic. The appearance of the bean is small, olive green color and with less density...

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(Picture by Antonio Arreaga)