Introduction:Take an in-depth visit to Finca Ángeles Negros located in the Huehuetenango highlands of Guatemala, and discover how it creates a complex and layered Caturra SHB coffee through natural farming practices and a unique enzyme-based slow-drying process. This article details key aspects from the growing environment, harvesting standards, to processing methods, and explains the origins of its captivating flavors such as green tea, whisky, and dried peach. Learn the brewing essentials and tasting highlights of this high-altitude washed coffee.
Finca Ángeles Negros is situated in the Huehuetenango highlands in northern Guatemala, near the Mexican border. Since its establishment in 1965, it has consistently adhered to the philosophy of natural farming. The farm produces its own organic compost from coffee husks, combined with mineral-rich volcanic limestone soil and a well-developed irrigation system relying on high-mountain water sources, creating a unique environment for coffee cultivation.
Under strict harvesting standards, the Caturra variety grown here can achieve a sugar content of22 Brixabove in its fully ripe cherries, demonstrating exceptionally high sweetness potential. These coffee cherries undergo multiple intricate processes—including aerobic fermentation, tank fermentation, and slow drying—to achieve the final beans with rich flavor profiles.
In the processing procedure, the berries undergo initial aerobic fermentation and sun dehydration on the patios within24 hoursafter harvesting. They are then transferred to specialized processing tanks for a24-hourwater fermentation process, effectively removing the skin, pulp, and mucilage while leaving only the parchment-covered coffee beans. Afterwards, these beans are moved to the patios for prolonged slow drying, during which workers manually turn them everytwo hoursand continuously monitor temperature and humidity changes to ensure a stable and consistent drying process.
The second-generation manager of the farm, who majored in industrial engineering, has further optimized the washing and fermentation processes. Emphasis is placed on using clean, natural local water sources, and the post-washing water is redirected back to the plantation areas for irrigation, reflecting a commitment to sustainable practices. Furthermore, although some batches are mechanically dried, the farm retains traditional sun-drying methods to refine the ultimate quality of the coffee.
Finca Ángeles Negros is also dedicated to microclimate research, experimenting with diverse varieties across different plots, and adjusting moisture management, fertilizer application, and post-processing methods based on each area’s altitude, soil, and climate conditions, all in pursuit of the utmost expression in every coffee batch.
This Caturra SHB coffee is grown at elevations between1,675 meters and 2,000 metersabove sea level, making it a classic high-altitude hard bean (SHB, Strictly Hard Bean), characterized by a dense bean structure and strong flavor potential. With proper roasting and extraction, it often exhibitsgreen tea, whisky, elderflower, and dried peachnotes—distinct layers of aroma and flavor with a delicate texture and long-lasting aftertaste, making it especially appealing to coffee lovers who enjoy complex fruitiness and subtle wine-like characteristics.
For pour over enthusiasts, it is recommended to use a medium-light to medium roast, with a water temperature of90-93°C, employing a1:15 to 1:16coffee-to-water ratio, and a fine grind size (such as medium-fine, similar to caster sugar) to help fully express its unique aromatic layers and balanced acidity.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
