May 18, 2023

HUNAPU / GUATEMALA

Flavor Profile :
Apple, Tangerine, Milk chocolate.

Origin : Guatemala
Farm : Hunapu 
Producers: Small coffee holders
Region : Sacatepéquez  > Antigua Guatemala 
Variety: Bourbon ( ブルボン )
Process: Fully Washed ( フリーウォッシュド )
Altitude: 1500 - 1900 masl
Harvest : 2021 - 2022

This coffee is characterized by a crisp acidity reminiscent of apple, and a sweet and juicy citrus flavor that emerges in the mid-palate. It leaves a subtle and lingering taste of sweet milk chocolate in the aftertaste.

"Hunapu" means "mountain flower" in one of Guatemala's indigenous languages, K'iche', and it is also the name of the indigenous people of the Agua Volcano region near Antigua. At the foothills of the volcano, there is a wet mill and dry mill called "Bella Vista" where the cherries are harvested and processed into dry parchment. Coffee processing facilities like Bella Vista are called "beneficios" in Spanish. Hunapu encompasses small plots on the slopes of the Agua Volcano, where coffee is cultivated by 500 small-scale producers and lots are created. In this area, traditional Bourbon varieties are grown, along with Catuaí, Catucaí, and other varieties.

The history of coffee in Guatemala dates back to the 1700s. Initially introduced as ornamental trees by Jesuit priests, it was consumed by foreigners, but commercial cultivation began in the 1850s. It gained international recognition as the "world's finest coffee" at the 1888 Paris Exposition and the 1915 San Francisco Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The National Coffee Association of Guatemala (Anacafé) was established, contributing to its growing international reputation.

Founded in 1960, Anacafé provides technical assistance and education to coffee producers. This enables producers to learn cultivation methods and acquire knowledge for improving coffee quality. They offer support in soil, water, and leaf analysis, helping producers ensure proper nutrition and fertilizer intake. Anacafé also provides outreach services, including sensory analysis that offers feedback on samples submitted by producers.

Almost all coffee produced in Guatemala is of the Arabica variety. The country ranks within the top 10 coffee-producing nations globally, but there has been a trend of decreasing production compared to about 10 years ago.

Guatemalan coffee is internationally recognized for its quality and is known as the first country to establish the "Denomination of Origin" system that characterizes eight production regions. Guatemala is renowned as a pioneer in specialty coffee production and in 2018, coffee production was designated as an officially recognized "intangible cultural heritage" by the government.

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