Guatemalan Goodness

One of the first stops on my journey into specialty coffee from small roasters was a Guatemala Huehuetenango. I had to summon my long neglected middle school Spanish skills to begin to pronounce the name (whay-whay-ten-ON-go). I didn't know if that word was a geographic marker, a type of bean, the way it was roasted, or some added flavor that was tossed in along the way. How am I supposed to learn about coffee if I can't even pronounce it? Oh, the struggles...

Huehuetenago is a city and municipality in Guatemala, a Central American country bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The area has some impressive Mayan ruins, and also happens to be one of the key coffee-growing regions in the country. 

Guatemala Huehuetenango by French Truck Coffee

This roast from our friends at French Truck Coffee in Memphis, Tennessee, is both a single origin and a blend. The beans are all from small-holding farmers in the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala, and they are a blend of varietals: Catuai, Bourbon, Caturra, and Typica. 

Roast level: medium
Origin: Guatemala
Process: washed
French Truck's notes: chocolate, caramel, and cherry
My notes: medium sweetness, full-bodied, good every day roast

Without realizing it at the time, I made a wise decision trying a Huehuetenango as one of my first specialty coffees. The chocolaty, cherry, sweet notes naturally occurring in this roast register as what most of us would think of as a "good coffee" - enjoyable, richly flavored, and not so unusual as to make you question what exactly it is you're drinking. I gave it 5/5 stars.

If you're looking for a coffee to have as your new every day brew, this might be your winner. Give it a try here. 

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