Our newest seasonal offering comes to us from Guatemala. Coffees from Guatemala can have a wide range of flavours from heavy and rich to bright, fruity and complex. This coffee is grown in the Huehuetenango region of the country which is protected from frost with hot dry wind coming from the north. Huehuetenango has the highest non-volcanic mountains in Central America which are particularly well suited for coffee production.
photo cred: http://www.cafeimports.com/album/view/la-bolsa-huehuetenango
Coffees from this region have a distinct fruity acidity that makes this coffee stand out from the other coffee producing regions of the country. In Huehuetenango, the harvested green coffee is laid in drying beds stacked upon one another producing longer drying times and creating a brighter flavor in the coffee (Cafe Imports). This coffee is a collaboration of several different farms in the area and is the product of hard work from several different farmers.
photo: http://www.coffeeshrub.com/shrub/coffee/guatemala-huehuetenango-xinabajul
Coffee came to Guatemala during the mid 1700s from European Jesuits. The agricultural product became a staple cash crop during the 1800’s supplanting the country's main crop at the time, Indigo. Coffee production spread throughout the country and Guatemala today now produces some of the highest quality coffee on the market. This coffee is grown in some of the highest altitudes in the country and is awarded the top ranking of SHB (strictly hard bean) insuring that this coffee is at the perfect altitude for coffee production (from James Hoffman's The World Atlas of Coffee).
This coffee has a syrupy sweet body and is highlighted by its bright red apple acidity. While cupping this origin, the dry ground coffee’s aroma was reminiscent of cotton candy. This is the coffee you want to have at home when you are entertaining guests or if you need a cup of cold brew. For those of you that are home espresso fans and need a coffee that provides a quality milk drink while also being flavorful and nuanced, this Guatemalan can accomplish both. Here at Sump we have found that pulling this coffee a bit more ristretto really highlights the strengths of this Guatemalan and creates an exceptional milk drink.
