Guatemalan Org. Fraijanes SHB EP – BCT Select

Burman Coffee Traders

Details

Origin

Guatemala

Process

Washed

Roast Suitability

Description

This organic lot comes from smallholder coffee producers organized into certified cooperatives in the Fraijanes region of Guatemala. Rather than a single estate, it gathers the work of communities where coffee has been grown for generations on small plots that average around 3 acres. By organizing into cooperatives, these producers overcome the challenges of rugged, isolated coffee zones and gain technical assistance to manage their farms with strong organic practices. The cooperatives provide centralized warehouses where dried parchment is stored before it travels along rough roads to Guatemala City, where it is prepared for export. Much of the organic management happens right on the farm: producers use materials like coffee pulp to make their own fertilizer, which cuts transport costs and helps ensure better yields and quality. Each producer processes their harvest at their own micro-mill, with careful cherry selection, depulping, fermentation and sun drying. Grown between 1300 and 1700 masl on clay-mineral soils, the lot blends traditional and modern varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Sarchimor and Anacafe 14, the last of these developed by Guatemala’s national coffee association and released in 2014, valued for its solid yield and quality above 1300 masl. The harvest runs from December through March. The coffee is fully washed and dried in the sun. Org = Organically Grown SHB = Strictly Hard Bean, grown over 4000 ft. EP = European Prep, a washed processed premium offering Tasting Notes: A clean, sweet and balanced cup, right in line with a good old high-grown Guatemalan. The base profile leans towards a more malty profile with hints of nuttiness and soft fruit, a bit chocolaty if you push the roast darker. Lighter roasts open up the acidity: brighter and juicier with a sweeter edge. Medium roasts settle and round out the acidity, the body gains weight, and the chocolate factor moves to the front, lingers a bit nutty in the aftertaste. Dark roasts drop most of