Invariably newcomers to my shop ask for my " favorite coffee" and more often they ask for my "most popular coffee". While the answer to this question has little to do ultimately with what appeals to you personally as a coffee drinker, the answer to this question is soundly irrefutable. Guatemalan coffee is a crowd pleaser, it embodies the essential answer to the question, "What makes a specialty coffee extraordinary?".

Needless to say each year I wait with great anticipation for new crop Guatemalan coffee. When something as bright and floral and complex as San Juan Pixcaya arrives in the shop, it's almost shocking. I recommend that you run, do not walk, and get your hands on some of this immediately. If you're not impressed by the bright, almost iridescent floral quality of this coffee, allow it to cool in your cup. A great deal of this sweet floral essence of this coffee can be attributed to acidity. Keep in mind that when cupping coffee, acidity is what gives coffee it's bright, lively fruit and wine flavors and floral aroma. This is never a bad thing! After careful examination, I would consider this coffee similar in its floral aspect to an African Yirgacheffe, or Sidamo.

Shade-grown coffee is one of the most environmentally benign crops in the world and is perhaps the ideal agro-forestry crop. The use of large trees for shading coffee is a Guatemalan coffee-growing custom and is said to have been developed here. Coffee grown under the proper level of shade takes longer to develop, which favors the development of rich and complex flavors. This is an exceptionally sweet, delightful coffee, flavorful without being overpowering.

Roasting Notes