Region: San Juan La Laguna, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Tasting Notes: honey crisp, brown sugar, nutmeg, caramel, lemon zest aftertaste
Producers: AproCafé Atitlán Growers Association
Varieties: Caturra, Bourbon, Catuaí, Pache
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1,560-2,200 MASL
Recommended Brewing Parameters:
Espresso: 1:2.0 - 1:2.1 (17.5-18g in, 35-38g out, 25-28 seconds)
Filter: 1:16.6
Batch Brew: 1:16.6
This is our second year working with the AproCafé Atitlán Growers Association, sourced via our friend Kevin Nealon at Huckleberry Coffee. We’re thrilled to have it back—this year’s lot is tasting beautifully sweet and zesty, with comforting flavors that feel like a warm hug on a crisp fall day. We can’t wait for you to try it!
Aprocafé Atitlán (Asociación de Productores de Café de Atitlán) is a farmer association based on the southern shore of Lake Atitlán, extending over the ridge southwest of San Juan la Laguna. As of 2024, the group brings together 54 associate farmers and is co-chaired by Pedro Isaías González and Izaias Ixcamparic Mazariegos.
The association co-leases a wet mill in Cerro de Oro with another group, operates its own micromill in Panyebar, and about ten members fully process their own coffee. All farms, as well as the association itself, are NOP organic certified by Mayacert. The main varieties under cultivation are Bourbon, Caturra, Catuaí, and Pache, with smaller but growing plantings of Pacamara and Gesha.
The group’s farms range from 1560 masl at the lakeshore to 1750+ masl on the slopes of Volcán San Pedro and in the highland villages above San Juan. This altitude, combined with diverse processing approaches, results in a wide spectrum of cup profiles—from approachable blends to expressive, experimental microlots.
*If you would like this coffee ground, please specify brew method in comments.