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What makes Guatemalan Coffee so Special?

Posted by Josue Morales on November 30, 2010 at 8:44am

http://cafedeguatemala.blogspot.com/

Road to Coffee Plantations. Quiché.

Guatemala is known all over the world for its wonderful scenery, its diverse culture, but above all, for its excellent coffee!

By. Josue Morales

But what exactly is it that makes Guatemala's Coffee so special? To understand Guatemalan Coffee, one must understand Guatemala first. The name "Guatemala" comes from the ancient mayan meaning "land of many trees." Which only helps describe even better the nature of coffee growing in this country where 98% of coffee is shade grown. Using shade is an agricultural practice that provides priceless nurture to coffee plants, it provides the perfect natural setting for coffee to be grown under unique land and climate factors. The main

natural occurring influences in coffee are:

HIGH ALTITUDES: The finest coffee in Guatemala is cultuvated between 4,300 and 6,500 feet above sea level. Which are extremely high altitudes at which coffee production may only be achieved by shade forests and our next factor.

Burning flame at Coffea Roasters Guatemala.

MORE THAN 300 MICROCLIMATES: In a relatively small geographical area, 108,889 square kilometers, this can only be explained by the many geogrphic influences present in Guatemala such as a large number of Volcanoes, vast Crater Lakes, High Plateaus and Ranges, along with the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. All combine to create significant flavor differences among the different coffee regions in this country.

CONSISTENT RAINFALL PATTERNS: Annual rainfall in Guatemala ranges between 32 and 200, and constitutes our third natural factor in coffee excellence. Rain in Guatemala is not only plentiful, but in many ways predictable. With a heavy rainy that provides perfect development conditions for the coffee plant, with an added value of atleast one heavy rain in summer that allows for the coffee flower to blossom.

Clouds over Guatemala City.

Heart Of A Roaster/ Farmer

Posted by BaristaOnDutY on April 10, 2011 at 12:28am

Today I Would Like To Celebrate That Same Awareness. The Farmers Still Need Your Support Every Day, To Ensure That The Communities In Which They Live Thrive. They're Not Looking For Handouts, Or HYPE Programs Of Supporting Them. Farmers Look For And Depend On Authentic Connections And Rely On Fair, Even More Than Fair Solutions That Provide Lasting Sustainability. This Allows Them To Feel Proud Of The Products They Produce And Not Look Like The World Is Doing Them A Favor by Buying Their Products. It Really Is Mutuality. Simply Put,We Give Farmers What They Need And They Can Support Their Own Communities. I Will Say On A Side Note,"We The People" Have Our Own Problems In Our Own Communities. It's Hard To Speak Of Awareness And Not Touch Home. Any Reader That Would Like To Make A Difference, And is Unsure Where To Start, I Work With Several Companies And Individuals. It's Really The Small Steps We Take That Matter. Every BODY Chips In.

Anyone Wishing To Read On My Postings A Year Ago Today Feel Free To Read Them. I Would Also Like To Say The Past Is The Past. My Wounds Of The Situations Have Healed, And I'm Still Advocating For Farmers, For Veterans, And For Artists Alike. My Movement Towards Improvement. I Was Hesitant To Repost This Link Due To The Emotions Attached To My Poetry As Well As The Post. I Also Feel It's Fair And Valid For Me To Let My Readers And New Supporters Know Where I Have Been And Where We Are Headed. There Is Much Work To Be Done Everyday.

Today I Would Like To Thank All Of My Supporters, And Basically Give A 1Year Update. Last Year This Time, I Only Owned A PAN, With A Plan. Thanks To All Of Your Support, And A Little Determination. My Roasting Capacity Has Tripled. Keep In Mind, I'm Still A Nano Roaster. I Just Am Able To Provide More Now With A Little Less Manual Labor. One Of My Biggest Issues With PAN Roasting And Its Demands Was Trying To Provide A Product And Be Cost Effective, Which I Addressed In My Last Posting. I'm Still Paying More Than Bigger Roasters, But That's To Be Expected Given My Capacity And Current Clients. On A Health Note, I Have Bursitis In My Shoulder As Well As Neck And Back Injuries Sustained From My Military Service That Naturally Prevent Me From Over Doing It In The PAN. I Do My Best To Not Talk About My Personal Pains Because I Know And Have Seen Others Who Are Less Fortunate. Today It Brings Me Great JOY To Be Able To Thank You All For Everything. As I Said Before, This Is Only The Beginning. BODY Is On The Move, Thanks To You!! I Appreciate Each And Everyone Of You. May GOD Bless And Keep You. Till Next Time Sips Up |_|B

Heart Of A Roaster/ Farmer

Posted by BaristaOnDutY on April 10, 2011 at 12:28am

Freezing in Auckland!

Posted by Alun Evans on May 20, 2009 at 4:10pm

I know I can complain, its -7c down around Christchurch today with the wind chill factor put into the equation. Auckland, by comparrison, is a tropical 9c in the plus. As I look out the window, the water from the fountain is still flowing- which is a good sign. Its a long way away from Jakarta's 32c days- 365 days a year... but really the change is kind of refreshing.We are still waiting for our greens to clear MAF's very tight border controls. With the Kiwi economy beng based on lamb, apples, kiwifruit and other agricultural products, it is perhaps prudent to look at anything and everything coming into port. Our beans have been fumigated at origin- being 100% organic this would be a must for NZ or Australia anyway.While waiting we have been busy painting and interviewing, nterviewing and painting. in between been talking with the NZCRA (NZ Coffee Roasters Assoc) and trying a wide range of espresso blends that are being roasted in Auckland and around the country. There are some impressive coffees out there- which is excellent in helping pull the standards in the right direction. On the down side- customer service standards in NZ generally suck the big Kumara. 11 years ago when I left these shores I was highly impressed with how NZ CS stood up against service standards around the world. Today they would rank right at the very bottom vs ASEAN countries (+ Australia). Hopefully this has something to do with the fact that the country is (or was up until recently) almost fully employed. Things may be changing- which would be a huge bonus for the service and hospitality sectorsHoping the coffee comes through tomorrow- the roaster is ready and waiting...

"Kick It Up for Coffee Kids" Benefit Auction, during May at Homeroasters.org

Posted by Chad Sheridan on May 1, 2009 at 12:30am

Lots of great items for homeroasters and more!!!Throughout the month of May 2009, Homeroasters.org is conducting auctions on a wide variety of items, many of which the specialty coffee industry donated with jubilation. Items up for bid range from assortments of top-quality green coffee, to magazine subscriptions, grinders, brewers, roasters and much, much more; all proceeds going directly to Coffee Kids.Coffee Kids® Grounds for Hope was born out of the specialty coffee industry by Bill Fishbein in 1988. Coffee Kids® has distributed over $4 million dollars in funds “to help coffee-farming families improve the quality of their lives.” With four distinct areas of focus, Latin American countries have realized improvements in healthcare, education for children, community-based projects and micro-credit loans that have enabled over 4,000 women to own their own businesses and support their families.If you would like to bid on an item, please register as a member of Homeroasters.org and enjoy the auction.Link to AuctionHere are the spotlighted lots that will be open for the entire month:Behmor 1600 Roaster Donated by Joe Behm15 pounds Colombia Organic Don Telmo Reserva Bourbon donated by Royal Coffee New YorkFreshRoast 8 home roasting unit and 10 lbs of coffee, “Big Box” package donated by The Captains CoffeeHeat gun and bread machine roasting set up built and donated by member Chad Beauford15 pounds Colombia Organic Don Telmo Reserva Bourbon donated by Royal Coffee New YorkPoppery 1 popcorn popper/roaster donated by member Chad Beauford10 pounds Colombia Organic Don Telmo Reserva Bourbon donated by Royal Coffee New YorkNesco Professional Gourmet Home Coffee Roaster Donated by Nesco5 pounds green coffee donated by Berres Brothers“Peace Blend” Sculpture designed and built by member John A C Despres15 pounds Colombia Organic Don Telmo Reserva Bourbon donated by Royal Coffee New YorkChad Sheridan

Opening the Roastery

Posted by Alun Evans on May 17, 2009 at 9:39am

I have not been idle during my absence from posting on BX. I am currently in Auckland, NZ (City of Sails- not sales!) working on getting a micro-roastery open. In March headed down here to look at a couple of roasting businesses for sale (not sail). Found a very nice place complete with red brick courtyard and fountain in Parnell. We are currently getting the place cleaned up ready to start roasting end of the month.It is nice to be looking at spending a little more time down here in NZ. The clean, crisp days more than make up for the changeable Auckland weather.The first shipment of greens arrives tomorrow and we are hoping to work on getting the roaster commissioned by Monday week.

Jitterz Café Spring '09 News

Posted by CoffeeJunkie on March 20, 2009 at 5:50am

Jitterz in the NewsWell, Kaye B. in my own made-up news...close enough. I’ve got a new coffee blog. Dig it at: Confessions of A CoffeeJunkie. Browse around and check out some of the links to great coffee while you are there! To copy and paste the link into your browser: http://confessionsofacoffeejunkie.wordpress.comWhat's Roasting? Toasted Cinnamon and Wild Berries!I fell in love with El Salvador’s coffee from this past fall. Thankfully, El Salvador Organic Finca Mauritania had a rather large crop, so I bought loads of it! I experimented a little on this roast. I tried it at different levels to sample different taste characteristics. And if we all remember correctly, Jitterz Café’s Christmas Soirée brought us this very floral coffee with a bit natural spice: toasted cinnamon. Turns out the darker the roast, the less explosion of that incredibly smooth cinnamon taste. So let’s leave this one at City+ (a medium intensity).I am discovering that more of the coffees I taste are beginning to leave me speechless. I had read about the Ethiopia Organic WP Kebado - quoted as being “thrilling.” So I ordered some for myself and roasted it at City+. The first time I tasted it, I was at work. I had just placed a business call, and the person on the other end had answered. I left them hanging…I had merely gotten a whiff of the coffee as I lifted it to my mouth. The aroma alone was exhilarating! Lemony citrus scents took over my nose, and induced slight salivation; but I had to force myself back to the task at hand, or at least momentarily…THE PHONE CALL! I made it quick and hung up FAST!The last time I tasted coffee with flavor this intense was months ago and it was only a sample of the Kenyan Peaberry (a peaberry is a rare type of coffee bean; instead of splitting into two flat berries as we commonly know it, the cherry forms one oval-shaped berry/bean, therefore giving it a highly intensified explosion of flavor). Since I had prepared the Ethiopia Kebado in my french press, I thought it would be ok if I played coffee connoisseur for a few minutes. Slurp…GUZZLE (wait, I’m not supposed to guzzle, but I did). Roll to the back of my tongue….MMMMM!! The aftertaste was very pleasing and still very flavorful. Light honey, wild berries, lemony citrus all in one cup, and as it cools it’s something reminiscent of a light summer drink to complete your day of sandy beaches and flip-flops. Good to the last drop!

The road goes ever on and on...

Posted by Chad Smith on January 8, 2009 at 7:05am

So, I thought I'd start a little blog here about my path down the Rosting Road, as it were. If you haven't read my profile, you should know that I've been a barista for 18 years, on and off - but mostly on. I've also been in managment, helped open shops, worked at solo owner/operator hole-in-the-wall shops, worked the conventions, run trainings, been in barista competitions, worked for masters of the craft - as well as a few fools - but have always been at arms length around the roasting process. I understand it, on the most basic level at this point. If you're a barista with a few years under your belt, maybe you'll understand my analogy here a bit more fully; that roasting coffee is like pulling shots. It is really, really easy to put coffee in the thing, pack it down, click the other thing over here, and out comes the espresso. But that does not make you a barista, oh no. It is so much more about subtlety, and tiny, tiny variations rippling through the constant repitition, and getting a feel for the 'nature' of the espresso. How will the weather effect things? How about the burrs; when were they changed last? Is the temperature on my machine stable? A long, long list follows, and you are constantly dialing in to stay in The Zone to keep your shots pouring sweet.Well, roasting seems to be the same idea - at least here at Herkimer. When the Probat was installed, there was a digital timer/display/programmable thingy on the control panel, which I thought made sense: keep your roasts and everything consistent, right? Well, imagine my surprise when they ripped that out, and where LEDs once blinked and booped, there is now a rather utilitarian LED temperature display, and that's it.Scott Richardson is our roaster, and has been doing it as long as I've been a barista - which he's done as well, with the additional skill-set of being in the repair and maintenance field of machines, grinders, etc. I'm finding that his 'feel' for roasting is much like my 'feel' for pulling shots. I hold automatic espresso machines with distain in the same way as he did with the fancy computer controlled Probat roaster. Coffee is hands-on, and can only really settle in with lots of experience. I'll continue to wrestle with my inadequacy issues around SO MANY DIFFERENT BEANS and hopefully bear in mind my own thoughts here; it'll come with time.I'll try to keep this updated as I learn, and maybe you can see what it's like to go from a master barista to an apprentice bean-cooker.

It's roasting day.

Posted by Bj Davis on November 23, 2008 at 11:34am

Here I sit listening to the roaster hum, and Sandy curse the flame for going out.She roasted last week and yesterday after we closed. We tasted some Colombia that she roasted yesterday. It was a little too fruity for her tastes, but I thought it was ok. I would like to see a bit more caramel in the flavor. It did go a tad sour once cooled.Flame didn't go out yesterday, so she thought it was perhaps some moisture in the drum. Wonder why it is doing this today?Well today she roasted some more of the Colombia, Kauai, and now she is starting on a French roast blend.Let's hope the flame keeps up with the darker roast.I guess I should go do something constructive.......

Roasting Plant’s Javabot

Posted by Matt Milletto on April 16, 2008 at 9:59am

Found this article in Design News, and have heard of this cafe before. Interesting concept but I can see some components that would be up for debate, and may come off a bit gimmicky. Was curious what some other bX'ers thought about this system. (Excerpt of above article link)If Willy Wonka designed a coffee store, he would likely end up with something like the Roasting Plant Coffee Company in New York. Built around a complex machine that takes automated coffee production to a new level, Roasting Plant functions as much like a small factory as a retail coffee shop. Coffee beans travel overhead in pneumatic tubes, whooshing between storage bins, a roasting station, a grinder and a brewing machine. You can learn more about the company on their website.

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Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.