Guatemala Huehuetenango Arabica

A bright, fruit-forward arabica from the cooperative farms of Huehuetenango, in the western highlands of Guatemala. Stone fruit and citrus over honey and cocoa, in a cup with a clean finish.

Origin & Story

Much of Huehuetenango's coffee comes from small farms that sell through cooperatives. Importers describe the Union of Small-Scale Producers as a group of farmers spread over a mountainous area around La Democracia, at 1,300 to 1,900 meters, and ACODIHUE, another association, as drawing its coffee from the Cuchumatanes at an average altitude of around 1,500 meters.

ACODIHUE's producers are mostly women: importers say about 71 percent of its coffee comes from indigenous women farmers. A cooperative like this matters because each family grows only a little coffee. By pooling it, members can process, grade and sell lots large enough for export, and they share the costs.

The setting is dramatic. The Cuchumatanes cover more than 6,000 square miles and climb above 3,800 meters, and Anacafé, Guatemala's national coffee association, recognizes the area as one of its eight coffee regions under the name Highland Huehue.

In the cup, expect stone fruit and citrus for brightness, honey for sweetness and cocoa underneath, in a clean, fruit-forward cup. It works as a pour-over or in a French press, and the recipe here uses water at 93°C. Hot water and a coarse grind, a few minutes of patience, and the fruit and honey are there in the cup.

Reading the Flavor Profile

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