About This Coffee
Asociacion De Productores de Café Diferenciados y Especiales De Guatemala (ASPROCDEGUA) was founded in 2014, to help producers in Huehuetenango access the specialty coffee market. Huehuetenango is well known for producing high-quality specialty coffee with superb acidity and pleasant sweetness.
Cultivation
The associations’ Fairtrade and Organic certifications help producers add value to their coffees. They also help producers improve their agro-ecosystems, increase biodiversity and manage their farms in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Ripe, red cherry is selectively handpicked by producers. Since farms are small, most labor is done by the family, but some seasonal laborers may be hired to help harvest only ripe cherry. Coffee is typically processed on the farm. Ripe cherry is pulped, typically on a drum pulper, and placed in bags or buckets to ferment. Fermentation time varies according to temperature and altitude but producers typically ferment coffee until mucilage can be easily removed. Parchment is then washed in clean water and laid on patios or parabolic beds to sundry. Parchment is turned frequently to ensure even drying.
Strictly Hard Bean (SHB)
Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) specifies the altitude at which the coffee was grown. A coffee must be grown at 1,200 meters above sea level or higher to be considered SHB. The higher altitude and lower temperatures mean that the coffee fruit matures more slowly, creating a denser bean.
European Preparation (EP)
EP stands for European Preparation. EP beans are Screen 15+ with a low defect tolerance.
Coffee in Guatemala
Guatemala boasts a variety of growing regions and conditions that produce spectacular coffees. Today, the country is revered as a producer of some of the most flavorful and nuanced cups worldwide. We are proud to work with several exceptional in-country partners to bring these coffees to market.
The Guatemalan coffee industry experienced a major setback with the 2010 appearance of Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) in Latin America. The epidemic peaked in severity in 2012, and though CLR continues to affect some farms, Guatemala continues to produce high-quality, record-breaking coffees. In 2017, new and varied processing methods pushed prices at the Guatemalan Cup of Excellence contest to record highs.
The quality of coffee being produced in Guatemala is increasing, overall, due to the diversity of the industry’s producers. There are more and more small holder farmers producing exceptional coffee at high altitudes. Cooperatives are becoming more appealing to so many smallholders because they often offer farmers financing and other support for improving their farming and processing and are frequently able to offer higher prices for cherry than middlemen. Many cooperatives have initiated quality improvement training for farmer members and are becoming more adept at helping members market their coffee as specialty.