Guatemala Poaquil
GUATEMALA
POAQUIL
BROWNIE BATTER, TOFFEE, RED PLUM + CARAMEL APPLE
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: San José Poaquil, Poaquil, Guatemala
ELEVATION: 1800 - 2000 masl
PROCESS: Washed. Fermentation 8-12 hrs
VARIETY: Bourbon, Caturra Typica
TASTING NOTES: Brownie batter, toffee, red plum, and caramel apple.
ROAST TYPE: Light/Medium
Farm Level
Chimaltenango is what initially drew Red Fox to Guatemala. With soaring
altitudes reaching over 2000 masl while loaded with old Typica and Bourbon varieties,
Chimaltenango produces some world class coffees with immensely balanced and
approachable characteristics. The cup profile truly is classic Guatemala goodness with
a little something extra; showcasing, above all, sweetness and depth with dominant
warm sugar browning tones, baked apple, and orange peel as the most prevalent of our
flavor notes, but there is also juicy raspberry, hibiscus, pomegranate, and wildflower
honey flavors to be found in the best lots.
Small producers in northern Chimaltenango call Typica ‘gigante,’ or ‘giant,’ for the long
curved shape of the seed. Typica is planted abundantly, alongside smaller amounts
of Bourbon and Caturra, in an area of northern Chimaltenango defined by San Jose
Poaquil, Comalapa, and San Martin Jilotepeque. This region has ideal conditions
for growing these older varieties, with elevations exceeding 2050 masl. Often, these
smallholders have less than one hectare of coffee planted, and most harvest their own
cherries, taking them to nearby receiving stations where they are then processed and
dried in Antigua.
A couple years ago we extended our focus on a special project in the municipality Santa
Bárbara of Huehuetenango. In this remote area, a small receiving station has been
developed to service the coffee growers of this region. Assembling and separating lots
by cup quality is procedure here. Up to 2,000 samples are cupped on average during
the harvest season. Similar to Chimaltenango, the alluvial soil and dynamic terroir of
this region harnesses some of the oldest coffee varieties such as Bourbon and Typica.
General Brewing Instructions
- Filtered water. Spring water is ideal. Removing chloride, sulfur, and iron is essential.
- A burr grinder. The more even the coffee particles, the better the coffee. Burr grinders, whether manual or electric, will do a better job than "whirly-blade" grinders. Invest in a burr grinder. Your taste buds (and coffee roaster) will thank you.
- A scale. I know using a scale can seem a bit like you're doing something you shouldn't be. Trust me, you can only brew consistently great coffee with a scale. Water and coffee are hard to measure without one.
- Clean equipment. Properly cleaning your equipment is the only way to avoid stale and rancid coffee flavors entering your cup. Please keep your equipment clean. The sooner and more often you clean your gear, the easier it will be in the long run. Add it to your ritual and thank us later.
- Delicious and freshly roasted Color Coffee
- Hario V60 02. Check out Scott Rao's video on how to brew a better pourover than your local cafe does.
- French Press. Check out James Hoffman's video on how to brew a next level cup.
- Aeropress. Check out Tim Wendelboe's video on how to brew an exceptionally easy and delicious cup.
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?