Guatemala Petronila y Jaime
GUATEMALA
PETRONILA Y JAIME
RED FRUITS, CHERRY COLA, CURRANT JAM
AN expressive washed Guatemala from husband-and-wife producers Petronila Morales Mendez and Jaime Ramirez Luis.
This one jumped out to us for how much fruit it packs into an otherwise beautifully clean, classic washed coffee. We're tasting cherry cola, currant jam, ripe raspberry, and loads of juicy red fruit, with plenty of sweetness and structure underneath it all.
It's vibrant and fruit-forward for a traditional washed Huehuetenango. A really fun coffee.
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: Canoguitas, San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenango, Guatemala
PRODUCER: Petronila Morales Mendez + Jaime Ramirez Luis
ELEVATION: 1,980 masl
PROCESS:
This is a traditionally washed coffee, processed entirely by the family.
After picking, cherries are generally depulped the same day and placed directly into large plastic barrels. The coffee ferments for 12–24 hours, depending on weather and cherry ripeness.
Rather than relying strictly on a timer, Jaime checks the coffee by hand. When the mucilage separates easily from the parchment, he knows it's ready.
Water is then added and the coffee remains submerged for approximately eight hours. Jaime changes the water and agitates the coffee by hand with a stick or shovel, repeating with clean water when necessary.
Finally, the coffee is dried on a nylon-covered patio for approximately 3–4 days, depending on the weather.
VARIETY: Caturra, Bourbon
TASTING NOTES:
Ripe red stone fruit leads into rooibos tea and deep caramel sweetness. Clean, structured, and wonderfully balanced.
ROAST TYPE: Light
Farm Level
About Petronila & Jaime
Petronila—Petrona to her family and friends—and her husband Jaime farm together in the village of Canoguitas, San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenango, at approximately 1,980 masl.
Coffee goes back generations on both sides of their family.
Petronila grew up working alongside her father on coffee farms. Jaime's father worked as a coffee laborer, and Jaime began doing the same when he was just 15. Their parents would work on coffee farms during harvest and grow corn and beans throughout the rest of the year.
About 30 years ago, Petronila and Jaime purchased their first parcel together. Today they farm three parcels, including land inherited from both sides of their family.
It's very much a family operation.
Jaime and one of their children oversee field labor and drying. Petronila manages the picking crew and still picks coffee herself, while their son helps with some of the more physically demanding work.
Canoguitas
We met Petronila and Jaime through a loosely organized group of producers around Canoguitas who are increasingly focused on specialty coffee.
As they've learned more about the specialty market, they've put greater emphasis on one of the simplest—and most important—parts of producing great coffee: picking ripe cherry.
They grow Caturra and Bourbon at nearly 2,000 meters, an elevation that helps produce the concentrated fruit and acidity we're tasting in this lot.
Petronila and Jaime fertilize twice each year and reuse coffee pulp on the farm, particularly in their coffee nursery. Like many producers in the region, they point to rising fertilizer costs and labor shortages as two of their biggest challenges.
The Process
This is a traditionally washed coffee, processed entirely by the family.
After picking, cherries are generally depulped the same day and placed directly into large plastic barrels. The coffee ferments for 12–24 hours, depending on weather and cherry ripeness.
Rather than relying strictly on a timer, Jaime checks the coffee by hand. When the mucilage separates easily from the parchment, he knows it's ready.
Water is then added and the coffee remains submerged for approximately eight hours. Jaime changes the water and agitates the coffee by hand with a stick or shovel, repeating with clean water when necessary.
Finally, the coffee is dried on a nylon-covered patio for approximately 3–4 days, depending on the weather.
Simple, careful processing—and an incredibly expressive result.
Bean Details
ORIGIN: Canoguitas, San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenango, Guatemala
PRODUCERS: Petronila Morales Mendez + Jaime Ramirez Luis
ELEVATION: 1,980 masl
VARIETIES: Caturra + Bourbon
PROCESS: Washed
FERMENTATION: 12–24 Hours + 8-Hour Water Soak
DRYING: Patio Dried
ROAST TYPE: Light
Brew Guide
Filter & Espresso
You bought great coffee. Brew it that way. Below is how we approach extraction at Color — built from years of roasting, tasting, and a lot of dialing in on our favorite brewers: Hoop, Pulsar, UFO, and Origami Air.
Brew how you’d like — but if you want it how we taste it, start here.
REST
Great coffee changes over time. Don’t rush it.
Filter:
→ 2–6 weeks off roast
→ Sweet spot: 3.5–6 weeks
This is where things get cleaner, riper, and more clear. Fruit tones deepen. Structure gets polished and the finish cleans up.
Espresso:
→ 4–6 weeks off roast
You can pull earlier. It’ll be brighter and aromatic. Around week 4, it rounds out and gains density.
If you enjoy tasting evolution like me, just keep brewing and wait for it to get better!
WATER
Water matters more than most variables. We QC with TWW at full strength, the light roast profile, but these coffees truly sparkle with most soft water profiles. Most mountain water is hard so be sure to adjust accordingly. Definitely filter out chlorine and sulfur if using tap water. Apex is making some really cool water drops!
Ideal Range:
→ 30–80 ppm
→ Moderate alkalinity
→ Balanced calcium/magnesium
Softer water increases clarity and perceived sweetness. Harder water can flatten acidity and mute top notes as well as muddy the finish.
FILTER BREWING
Core Philosophy
- Even extraction > aggressive agitation
- Minimize channeling
- Control flow rate
- Your taste is the most important factor!
- Bed Depth is critical, check out Jonathan Gagne’s thoughts on this
We aim for:
- Extraction Yield: 20–23%
- TDS: 1.35–1.55
- Clean, structured sweetness
- The least amount of astringency possible
- No hollow center, flat beds
RATIO
We cup at 1:17
For brewing, we gravitate toward:
- 1:16 – 1:17
- Personal favorite: 1:16.75
- If the coffee is ultra-dense or fruit-forward, push toward 1:17. If you want more saturation and body, lean toward 1:16.
GRIND
Medium-fine for most flat-bottom / hybrid brewers.
You should see:
- Even drawdown
- No stalling
- No rushing
- See Jonathan Gagne’s bed depth post
If it tastes:
- Sour → grind finer or reduce chanelling
- Bitter/astringent/dry → grind coarser
- Thin → increase extraction (finer or hotter water)
BREWERS WE LOVE
Hoop
Low agitation. High clarity. One pour.
Let gravity do the work. Make sure to break the crust when you finish pouring.
Use a metal aeropress filter if you’re struggling with choking and/or slow draw downs.
Pulsar
Excellent for brewing for 2 people.
Aim for doses 25g - 30g to reduce channeling risk.
Bloom with the valve closed. Open after the first pour.
UFO
Expressive, modern clarity.
Great for highlighting fruit structure. Forgiving.
We love the sibarist filters.
Origami Air
Run conical filters for clarity, flat-bottom for structure.
Control your pour pattern — even spirals, minimal disturbance.
Thermally stable, easy pour over option.
POUR OVER POUR STRUCTURE (General Framework)
For a 1:16–1:17 brew:
- Bloom: 2–3x coffee weight (45–60g for 21.5g dose)
- 60 sec bloom
- 2–3 controlled center-out pours
- Avoid heavy swirling or stirring
- Let it draw down naturally with a light rattle after the last pour. Agitation increases extraction — use it intentionally.
ESPRESSO
Rest longer. Be patient.
Starting Parameters:
- 1:2 – 1:2.5 ratio
- 25–35 sec
- 93–95°C
- Adjust based on roast level and density
These coffees often open up at slightly higher extraction. Don’t be afraid of longer shots if they remain sweet and structured. More shot volume = more extraction.
You’re looking for:
- Dense sweetness
- No harsh finish
- Lingering fruit or chocolate clarity
- Structured acidity, not sharpness
If it’s thin → grind finer or increase ratio
If it’s harsh → coarsen or lower temp slightly
WHAT WE’RE TASTING AT OPTIMAL EXTRACTION
- Saturated sweetness
- Clear fruit articulation
- No hollow mid-palate
- Weight without heaviness
- Long finish
When you hit it right, it feels polished. Not loud. Not dull. Just complete.
FINAL NOTES
- Rest matters.
- Water matters more.
- Extraction is measurable.
- But taste is king.
Brew whenever you’d like. Track changes. Stay curious.
If you dial something incredible on your Hoop, Pulsar, UFO, or Origami Air — tell us.
We’re always chasing better coffee.
— Color Coffee
Coffee Faq
IS YOUR COFFEE ORGANIC OR FAIR TRADE?
In many cases, yes. However, our first priority is quality and flavor. Sometimes these priorities align and our producers are certified organic and/or fair trade. We always pay well above fair trade rates (which are quite low and don’t guarantee sustainability or quality).
Often times, the producers we work with are too small to gain certifications. It’s expensive and laborious. Many of our producers are certified organic and fair trade, including many of our producers in Peru, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME-FRAME TO DRINK MY COFFEE?
We recommend drinking our coffee within one month of the roast date. Most of our coffees taste best however within 2 - 14 days of roast date.
For espresso, we recommend using coffee that has rested at least 7 days after roast date. This is because coffee gives off CO2 after roasting that can interfere with extraction. One way to get around this is to let your ground espresso dose sit for 30-120 minutes before pulling the shot. Email info@colorroasters.com for more questions about this.
If you are pre-grinding the coffee, we recommend drinking the coffee within one week of grinding.
CAN YOU GRIND MY COFFEE ON WEB ORDERS?
Yes, we can. Please select how you want your coffee to be ground at the time you place your order. Simply click on the arrow beside "Grind" and make your selection. If you need help choosing let us know the brewing method you will be using to prepare the coffee, in the notes of the order. And we will be happy to grind the coffee for you on our commercial grinder.
DO YOU HAVE BREW RECIPES?
These are in the works! We are compiling a bunch and even shooting some video, to help you brew like us at home.
In the meantime...go here: Pour Overs | Aeropress to get some expert advice.
MY COFFEE TASTES WEAK, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?