Roasted - Guatemalan Genuine Antigua Acate

GuR-Ant-0.5-FCR

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About the bean

This lot from Finca La Esperanza and CAMEC (Casa Agrícola Mercantil y Exportación de Café) captures both the celebrated richness of Antigua’s terroir and a multi-generational commitment to quality and producer partnerships.
Founded by Emil Gustav Sterkel in the years following World War II, CAMEC built its reputation on precision, honesty, and close collaboration with local farmers.

Over time, Beneficio La Esperanza—situated just outside Antigua—emerged as a vital processing hub for small- and medium-scale producers, delivering consistency and a transparent bridge from farm to roasters worldwide. Today, Finca and Beneficio La Esperanza continue to uphold those founding values, thoughtfully blending tradition with thoughtful innovation.

Nestled in the Antigua Valley beneath the Agua, Acatenango, and Fuego volcanoes, the estate benefits from nutrient-rich volcanic soils, balanced rainfall, and a remarkably stable climate. Cherries grown at 5,000–6,200 feet are carefully handpicked, traditionally washed, and sun-dried, resulting in a clean, well-balanced cup that expresses the classic elegance of Genuine Antigua.

Rich. Sweet. Bright. Lively. Cocoa. Caramel. Apricot. Medium Round. Long, Clean. Balanced Sweetness with Vibrant Acidity.

QUICK NOTES

REGION: Antigua
CUPPING SCORE: 86 points (a score of 80 points or above on a 100-point scale is graded "specialty" coffee)
SUPPLIER: Acate Estate
PROCESS: Wet milling, 75% sun-dried
ALTITUDE: 1,500 - 1,700 masl.
SHB: Strictly Hard Bean specifies that the coffee was grown at an altitude above 1,350 meters. This term is also synonymous with SHG/Strictly High Grown; this classification is higher than HB.
EP: European Process specifies that the raw beans are all hand sorted to remove any defective beans and foreign material.
ROAST RECOMMENDATION: Light to enhance flavour nuances, darker for chocolate depth. For an explanation of our different roasts, see here: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart.

PEAK SUMMER FAVOURITE

Guatemalan Antigua is a delight across the roast spectrum, from Vienna to American. Expect a solid body, nice balance and winey acidity with a tasty combination of dark chocolate, caramel and raisin flavour notes.

We always try these beans chilled for one of our favourite cold brews of the season: 1-5 coffee-water ratio, refrigerate for 14 hours, then strain the liquid through a filter diluted to half strength and serve.

We've also had great success experimenting with Guatemalan Antigua for baking - infusing ingredients with some of this bean's signature yum, as well as adding it to syrups for drizzling over desserts.