In the specialty coffee space, Guatemala is a relatively underdiscussed Latin American coffee region compared to the likes of Brazil and Colombia, but it’s still a significant coffee region, exporting some 220 000 tonnes of coffee on a yearly basis. It also regularly produces some stellar specialty-grade coffees due to its natural terroir. Thanks to its high altitudes, rich, volcanic soil, and a plethora of microclimates, Guatemala provides the conditions necessary for growing a diverse range of delicious coffee, in both the commodity and specialty categories. 

This particular coffee, roasted by Quaffee comes from Huehuetenango, a department located in Guatemala’s western highlands which shares a border with Mexico’s state of Chiapas. The department’s altitudes vary widely between some 3 300 and 300 metres above sea level, and its local climate is equally variable, ranging from frigid mountains to humid rainforests. While mining and livestock farming were the cornerstones of Huehuetenango’s economy historically, more recently the department has relied on agriculture as its most important industry, of which coffee farming makes up a great part. 

This Huehuetenango coffee was produced by 50 members of the Red de Mujeres coffee cooperative. Translating to “Network of Women”, Red de Mujeres is a collective of 830 women coffee producers from around Huehuetenango, all of whom either lost their husbands in the 1960 - 1996 Guatemalan civil war sparked by the US-backed Armas’ coup d’état, or fled the country during the 2001 - 2004 coffee crisis. 

Assisted by ACODIHUE, a kind of super-cooperative that oversees numerous Guatemalan coffee co-ops and works hard to both represent and support the diverse indigenous ethnic groups of its associated producers. Thanks to this partnership, Red de Mujeres and its members have access to both cutting-edge training materials and international markets for their crop. This enables them to consistently improve the quality of their coffee and regularly secure buyers, and in turn guarantee and enhance their livelihoods. 

Quaffee’s notes

• Taste profile: A smooth coffee with red stone fruit to start, raw nuts, brown sugar sweetness to finish.
• Roast used: Intense flame to start, then a decreasing ramp rate, flame sustained into first crack, when flame it dropped to and coffee is dumped a minute after first crack.
• Roast degree: Light
• Quaffee brews:
• Espresso: 1:2.1 (33 secs)
• AeroPress: 14g:180g (fine grind)
• Plunger: 48g (800g)
• Pour-over/filter: 18g:300g

Coffee details from Quaffee

• Farm: Various small farms
• Owner: Various smallholder farmers
• Region: San Antonio Huista, Huehuetenango
• Country: Guatemala
• Altitude: 1600 - 1850 masl
• Processing: Washed
• Species/Variety: Catuai, Caturra, and Paches

Quaffee’s transparency information

• Sourced from: Migoti via Zuka Trading
• FOB price: N/A
• Cupping score: 82.5 (Zuka’s)
• Lot size bought: 2 x 69kg bags
• Relationship: Quaffee has not offered this coffee since 2019; this is their first time since then.