Guatemala is a fascinating country with rich indigenous cultures and stunning natural habitats. The most striking features of its landscape are the 37 volcanoes, with several of them still being active. These volcanoes are not only attractive for travelers to discover but make up the distinct characters to be found in Guatemalan coffees. Set in the northwest, 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 3,850 meters, creating ideal micro-climate conditions for coffee cultivation. However, this coffee is only grown on the mountain slopes ranging from 1,350 to 2,000 meters, classifying this coffee for strictly hard bean (SHB) grade.
During the harvest season, coffee cherries are hand-picked, pre-fermented for 36 hours, and then taken to the wet mill, where they are sorted, depulped, and transferred to fermentation tanks for around 24 hours, depending on the climate. After fermentation, the coffee is washed and sorted again through the “correteo” and then moved to patios to dry for 15 days.
Due to the high elevation, these beans grow slower than usual and develop a higher density, 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. We are proud to offer you our special selection "Las Amapolas" from this beautiful region in Guatemala.