08/04/2014
Guatemala Antigua coffee just arrived.................!!
Balance & Sweet taste
Roast: Medium-Dark
Origin: Antigua Valley, Guatemala.
Rich volcanic soil, low humidity, lots of sun, and cool nights characterize the Antigua Coffee® region. This valley is surrounded by three volcanoes: Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. Every once in a while, Fuego—one of Guatemala’s three active volcanoes—adds a fresh dusting of mineral-rich ash to Antigua’s soil. Volcanic pumice in the soil retains moisture, which helps offset Antigua’s low rainfall. In Antigua, shade is especially dense to protect the coffee plants from the region’s occasional frost.
Blind Assessment: A big, simple, acidy coffee only partly tamed by the darkish roast. The result is a bit of a hybrid: medium-bodied, roasty but acidy, reasonably sweet, but with only a hint of Antigua-style nuance, some fruit perhaps. The finish is slightly astringent, always a danger when an acidy coffee is brought to a darkish roast.
The highest grade of Guatemala coffee is Strictly Hard Bean (SHB). The regionally designated coffees (Antigua, Atitlan, Cobán, etc) are tasted and approved as meeting flavor profile criteria established for these regions by ANACAFE, the Guatemalan coffee association. Those coffees that do not meetmeet regional flavor profile criteria are only allowed to be sold as Strictly Hard Bean without regional designation.
Generally, Guatemala has preserved more of the traditional typica and bourbon varieties of arabica than many other Latin American growing countries, which may accountaccount for the generally superior complexity of the Guatemala cup. Most Guatemala coffee is grown in shade, ranging from rigorously managed shade on large farms to the serendipitous thickets of small growers.
Notes: Coffees from the valley surrounding the picturesque colonial town of Antigua are among the most celebrated in the world for their classic balance and subtle but complex nuance.
A good choice for a fence- sitting breakfast-cupper who wants some old-fashioned acidity.