Description
Guatemala is a fascinating country with rich indigenous culture andstunning natural habitats.
The most striking features of its landscapeare the 37 volcanoes, several of them still being active.
Thesevolcanoes are not only attractive to travelers to discover but make upthe distinct characters to be found in Guatemalan coffees.
Set in thenorthwest, bordering Mexico, Huehuetenango has become one of the most well-known coffee growing areas in the country.
The name “Huehuetenango” stems from the historic Aztec language Nahuatl and translates into “place of the ancestors”.
Elevation in this area reaches from 300 to 3850 meters, creating ideal micro-climateconditions for coffee cultivation.
However, this coffee is only grownon the mountain slopes ranging from 1350 to 2000 meters, classifying this coffee for strictly hard bean (SHB) grade.
Due to the high elevation these beans grow slower than usual, but also develop a higher density, i.e. building a very hard core.
This is fostered through intense sun exposure during the day, while cold and moist winds cool down the area at night.
Along with higher density comes a complex abundance of citric and fruitful aromas that let coffee from Huehuetenango rank as one of the best coffees in the world.
