Guatemala Guayabales Gold Label | Green Coffee Beans

Recommended Roast Level

City Plus (Medium)

Tasting Notes

This Guatemalan coffee is an incredibly sweet nod to a traditional Guatemalan flavor profile with bits and pieces of unique acidity. First and foremost, you get an overwhelming milk chocolatey sweetness that coats your palate in the best way. Quickly afterward, you begin to pick up notes of cranberry-like acidity that compliments the sweetness very well. The cup is then rounded out with a toffee-like bitterness (if you could call it that) that gives this cup a relatively narrow range in the “dynamic” scale, but a delicious sweetness that can’t be beaten.

Guayabales Coffee Production

The Guayabales lots have consistently showcased excellent acidity, a rich hard candy sweetness, and bright fruity through-line. Pedro uses aggressive pruning methods more than most of his siblings and it seems to be working well for him. His yields are streamlined, the profiles consistently standouts year to year. Shade is provided partially from the trees, partially from the steep cut of the land itself, the aspect and slope providing cover during the early morning and often fog in the afternoon, slowing growth and developing sugars.

Pedro is a quiet man, his tranquil and disciplined demeanor mirroring the the tranquility of the Hoja Blanca mountains. Saying very little, Pedro observes before asking the perfect question. All of his brothers all respect him a great deal, and when he does speak up they all listen intently. A great listener and open-minded, Pedro is very patient and steady. A crop which takes 7 years from seed to first full harvest benefits greatly from a disposition such as his. He has 2 daughters and 6 sons, and his sons Ervin and Nehemias work on the farm with him.

Guayabales, like all farms in Guatemala has had its challenges. While he has mostly overcome rust in the past years, the difficult road to Hoja Blanca makes the harvest difficult, especially after heavy rains. Pedro's goal is to continue to improve his lots, adding different varieties and over time improving processing techniques. Over the years he's seen many improvements, and the younger generation is innovating Pedro's processes at hyper speed: Drying select lots on raised beds, planting new lots, experimenting with processing. Just last year, Pedro won third place overall in the Guatemala COE with a Gesha-Caturra!

Highlights