Guatemala Huehuetenango

In the Cup: Fresh lime, vanilla, peanut butter, and cacao nib flavors with tart acidity and a soft mouthfeel.

Process: Washed

Regions: Huehuetenango

Variety: Bourbon, Catimor, Caturra, Maragogype, Pache

Elevation: 1400–2200 MASL

Country: Guatemala

Harvest: December–May

Huehuetenango sits in Guatemala's western highlands, pressed right up against the Mexican border, and it's one of the most respected coffee regions in Latin America for good reason — altitude, reliable water, and traditional varieties. This lot comes from the Quetzal program, named for Guatemala's national bird and built so smallholder farmers can sell more of their harvest and earn more along the quality ladder. It's a mix of the region's common varieties — Bourbon, Caturra, Catimor, Maragogype, and Pache — grown between 1,400 and 2,200 meters, where cool nights slow the cherries down and make for a dense, hard bean.

Washing is the classic Guatemalan approach: cherries are depulped the same day or the next, fermented anywhere from 12 to 48 hours, washed clean of their mucilage, and dried on patios or raised beds. With the fruit stripped off before drying, what's left in the cup is what the bean built on the tree — cacao nibs and a rich peanut butter middle, a touch of vanilla sweetness, and a squeeze of fresh lime for tart acidity, all on a soft, easy body.