Guatemala Antigua Coffee

Where is Guatemalan Coffee Grown?

Nestled between three volcanoes, Weaver’s Guatemala Antigua single-origin coffee is nurtured at high altitudes in rich volcanic soil and picturesque dense forest. Antigua is known as a premier coffee-growing region in Guatemala, renowned for creating one of the finest single-origin coffees in the world. The country of Guatemala contains the perfect weather for the harvesting of coffee beans because it receives a generous amount of rain; it is situated at an ideal elevation and has the perfect level of humidity. The coffee bean is medium-bodied and complex with a pleasant acidity along with hints of dates and a silky mocha finish.

Having stood side by side with Alfred Peet, the founder of Peet’s Coffee, and then going on to work as Master Coffee Roaster at Peet’s Coffee for 27 years before founding Wild Card Roasters in 2007 with Renee Brown, Michael Brown and Bryce Inouye, John Weaver, is one of the most knowledgeable and practiced coffee roasters in the world.  He has had the opportunity to try hundreds of coffees from various coffee farms around the world and our Guatemala Antigua Coffee is described by John as one of his favorite coffees.

ANTIGUA | GUATEMALA

La Flor del Café Antigua comes from the Pastores mill in the heart of Antigua. We go into the mill and draw samples of all the year's delivered coffee and choose the lots from which we wish to prepare shipments. The coffee that we select is the absolute cream of the crop. Then, when it is time for us to make a shipment, our quality control team flies from Costa Rica to Guatemala where they supervise the preparation of the coffee. Our goal is to not only supply coffee from the best possible raw material but to also ensure that it conforms to our usual standard of preparation. La Flor del Café is a classic Antigua - it has lively acidity, a heavy body, and flavors of fine chocolate, caramel, and smoky rum. 

Where is the Majority of Guatemala Coffee Grown?

One would be right to assume that the majority of the coffee sourced from Guatemala is grown in the tropical and temperate zones as the climate for growing coffee is significantly better than the cool region. The coastline of Guatemala along the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea has this tropical climate. The coastal plains and lowlands can range from an excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day to a low of 70 degrees Fahrenheit at night. The region also has high levels of humidity which promotes the perfect conditions for coffee growth in a given region.

The combination of the hot equatorial sun mixed with the constant humidity allows for raw coffee cherries to soak up sunlight and nutrients promoting a pleasant acidity with fruity back-tones. In the case of the city of Antigua, where we source our Guatemala Antigua single-origin coffee beans, it is considered to be in the temperate zone. This zone includes any areas in the region from 3,300 feet above sea level to 6,600 feet above sea level. During the day we can see temperatures reaching a high of 85 degrees Fahrenheit with the temperature at night lowering to a nice cool temperature, though never touching below freezing. The warmest month in the region is in April, while the coolest is January. Despite this, the region is known to grow coffee year-round as the mountainous temperate climate has ideal conditions for the coffee cherry to grow.

How Many Seasons are There in Guatemala?

While Guatemala may have warm to hot weather nearly year-round, there are two seasons during the year. There is the dry season from November to April and the wet season from May to October. Issues that arise during the transitional period from April to May include the drastic change in weather and with conditions being so hot followed by a drastic change due to heavy rainfall farmers can lose profit due to coffee rust forming on the plants. This in part spoils the plant and renders it unusable. Despite this set back the plants that do not have coffee rust are harvested as cherries, separated into raw beans, and then roasted. One can notice when drinking our Guatemala Antigua that the medium-bodied roast contains a wide range of flavors hidden behind the first sip. When drinking this coffee, each sip brings a hint of flavor to my palate, for instance, the notes of dates or the soft mocha finish.

It is through consistency in sourcing the highest quality coffee cherries and standards in coffee processing that has allowed Guatemala to become a country at the forefront of the global commodity chain for coffee. Considering the country has a population of 16.9 million with an estimated 125,000 different coffee producers the coffee industry is a large part of the country’s economy. Guatemala’s coffee industry accounts for over 40 percent of the nation’s total agricultural exports further displaying its importance in the everyday economy of the country. Developing such a high percentage of the international coffee market while being relatively small in size shows that the climate and soil for the region are perfect for growing coffee. While coffee’s such as the Kona or Jamaica Blue Mountain may be regarded for their flavor and exclusivity, single-origin coffees such as the Guatemala Antigua have incredible quality and flavor for a fraction of the price. When we follow the journey of the coffee tree starting in the temperate zone of Guatemala Antigua, we see it separated from its raw cherry into a raw green coffee bean. Following this process, we see the sacks of green coffee beans traveling up the Pacific Ocean by ship where Wild Card Roasters, (our parent company) purchases 154-pound sacks of green coffee beans, for our brand Weaver’s Coffee & Tea.  These beautiful coffees are then hand-roasted by our coffee roasters to create our single-origin Guatemala Antigua Coffee.

Drinking a cup of our Weaver’s Coffee and Tea’s, Guatemala Antigua brings you to the temperate/tropical climate of the country. The complexity of the medium-bodied roast is enriched as you continue through your morning cup of coffee. The incredible flavor combined with the mocha finish allows for an even more complex combination for your palate. While your palate enjoys the flavor profiles and nuances of our Guatemala Antigua Coffee, think of the many people, coffee farmers, coffee processing workers, procedures and systems the coffee has gone through to get from origin to your morning cup of coffee. 

We are lucky that the country of Guatemala contains the perfect weather for the harvesting of coffee beans because it receives a generous amount of rain; it is situated at an ideal elevation and has the perfect level of humidity. This Guatemala Antigua coffee bean is medium-bodied and complex with a pleasant acidity along with hints of dates and a silky mocha finish, it is truly delicious and totally addicting.

Producer: Multiple Smallholder Farms

Region: Antigua

Elevation: 1,200 - 1,600 meters

Harvest Months: December - March

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon

Processing: Washed and 100% sundried, hand-sorted

Cup profile:Cocoa 

Guatemalan Coffee is World Renowned