Roasting April 23rd ONLY (8oz Bags)

White Label Guatemala San Diego Buena Vista Bourbon

Tasting notes: Spiced candy apple, shortbread, pistachio, caramel finish

Suggested Brewing Method:  French Press, Drip, Moka Pot

Last month we focused on the intense and tangy fruit flavors brought about by a novel process known as anaerobic fermentation. We’d like to bring our pallets back into equilibrium this month with a coffee that presents a more subtle, balanced, and clean cup representative of the classic profile of premium specialty coffees from Guatemala.

In 1524 Europeans began moving into Guatemala in numbers sufficient to establish colonies devoted to the export of natural dye producing woods and insects. They soon encountered active and sometimes devastating volcanoes, nowhere more dynamic than the three volcanoes surrounding Antigua—Fuego, Agua, and Acatenango.  For over 8,000 years these volcanoes have periodically deposited rich layers of minerals on the soil of the valleys below.

Coffee was introduced as a substitute export crop when the natural dye market in Europe collapsed in the mid 1800’s. This was the beginning of the legendary pairing of the majestic Bourbon variety coffee plants and the incredible soil, altitude, and climate of this volcanic region. The farm of San Diego Buena Vista (SDBV) resides in the valley to the west of, and named after, the Acetenango volcano. Coffees from Acetenango, often labeled as Antigua in the past, are now being appreciated for their own unique qualities rather than being lumped together with coffees grown east of the volcano in the valley of Antigua.

The SDBV farm in Acetenango is noted for its beauty and for the meticulous care taken in cultivation and preparation, such as complete separation of the various cultivars and the constant renovations and improvements of their on-property wet mill. The red Bourbon cultivar from the lot offered here is washed on site and sun-dried on patios.

The charm of this medium bodied coffee from SDBV lies in its exceptional balance, delicacy, and dimension. The smell of shortbread is present in the dry aroma and carries over into the cup where soft, creamy notes of pistachio and spiced candy apple spread wide across the pallet on a mouthfeel that coats like a Worther’s Original. The mild apple-like acidity lends transparency to the aromas as they slowly give way to a lingering caramel finish.

This is a cup that won’t loudly announce its presence with tangy fruits like last month’s Espana, but rather one whose delicacy and balance richly reward a long savor. The more you sit with this coffee, the more of itself it will reveal.

Variety:  Bourbon

Region:  Acatenango

Farm:  San Diego Buena Vista

Elevation:  5,000 ft

Process:  Washed, sun-dried on patios