mycuppa September 2014 Newsletter

Guatemala

It's funny how you can remember all the finer details of your first true love - the time, place, what you were wearing, the music and sounds of the era, etc.

 

So it is with memories of my first serious bean infatuation - Guatemala.

 

We were commissioning our first new roaster, and I was visiting the warehouse of a coffee broker and asked them what I had thought was a simple and innocent question, "Can you please show me your best coffees".

 

Over in a corner was a large pile of beautifully decorated jute bags - Guatemala Estrellas 5.

 

We purchased coffees from many origins that day, but roasting and cupping Guatemala was an almost life-changing experience. 

 

Back then in the early days of 2005, I had no idea whether the roast was good, bad or spectacular, but what I tasted in the cup was pure heaven.

 

Hands down, the richest, darkest cocoa combined with intense sweetness and sparkling acidity.

 

As the weeks passed, I roasted many more batches of that wonderful Guatemala, and each batch was just as memorable as the previous.

 

At the time I recall thinking - wow, this must have been a lucky fluke!

 

Some months later, I stumbled across an article in an industry magazine written by a highly respected US expert - "Guatemala proves once again why it is the "king" of Central American coffees".

 

The article waxed lyrically about the superb cup attributes of fine Guatemalan coffees.

 

Guatemala has always been an essential component of our coffee portfolio.

 

Guatemala has an almost perfect micro-climate for growing coffee - high elevation, rich volcanic soils and generous rainfall.

 

There are eight producer regions in Guatemala; however, by the time the coffee arrives here in Australia, we generally refer to the common types of Antigua and Huehuetenango (a.k.a. Whey-Whey).

 

Antigua is what many refer to as the "classic" Guatemalan.

 

The coffee farms are like the wine industry's equivalent to old vineyards with aged trees and a diverse eco-climate.

 

On their day, a Guatemala Antigua can out-punch all contenders - extremely rich and complex cups.

 

Antigua delivers a stronger flavour, infused with dark chocolate and bright sparkling acidity.

 

At times, dark chocolate might be confused with a bitter-sweet taste.

 

In milk-based espresso, an Antigua is a pure delight.

 

Huehue's are fruitier and have an extremely juicy body and length.

 

Huehue's still carry the famous Guatemalan chocolate note, but you can also add nuts, spice, caramel, cloves, figs and raisins.

 

We use a lot of top-grade Huehue's in our popular blends, and the Huehue's are the most exciting to work with in terms of profiles and complexity.

 

Guatemalan coffees are hard beans that require careful adjustment of the grinder.

 

In all Central and South American coffees, Guatemalans deliver the strongest flavour and longest finish with superb balance.

 

They are exceptionally good for milk-based espresso such as cappuccino, latte or flat white.

 

We have fresh crops from origin in our warehouse now, and it's spectacular.

 

To order Guatemala coffee beans, please follow this link.

 

Be careful when you TAMP!

No, it's not a new dance step or dangerous stunt, but your tamping technique could be one of the key factors holding back your ability to achieve improved quality and consistency in your espresso shots.

 

Tamping is the last human step in the espresso process (excluding the shot time or duration).

 

We have mentioned the term "channelling" previously, and it's the key reason some espresso shots are just ordinary (assuming grind and dose are accurate).

 

The ground coffee in a group handle (portafilter) is resistant to water flow under pressure.

 

If the ground coffee is not packed correctly, it can lead to the development of channels in the coffee bed, resulting in both under-extracted and over-extracted coffee.

 

The first indication of chanelling is the speed of the pour, although this could also be caused by incorrect dosing.

 

If the pour speeds up too quickly and the colour of the coffee becomes lighter too soon, it is recommended to inspect the used puck to check for channels.

 

Typical issues with tamping can include uneven tamping, using too much pressure, or tamping multiple times.

 

Too much pressure and tamping many times is a common mistake by novices.

 

This leads to pockets of compaction forming and increases the risk of channeling.

 

There is no such thing as tamping "too lightly" so long as you have a consistent and well-packed group handle.

 

I am a big fan of light-tamping