Bordered by Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize, and the Pacific Ocean, the Central American country of Guatemala is home to a unique environment especially suited to growing coffee. The horizontal mountain ranges spanning the country create regions of vastly different climates and terrain: It’s dry and cold highlands reach a pinnacle at the highest point in Central America—Volcán Tajumulco, sitting at 13,845 feet; Its lowlands are tropical with humid seasons and span to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Aside from its topographic diversity, Guatemala is hugely significant to Mesoamerica’s nascent history.
As a hub for ancient Mayan civilization, modern day Guatemala is home to a rich culture, archaeological sites, and historic architecture. A thousand years after the collapse of Mayan civilization, coffee cultivation began. It’s place as a significant agricultural export of the country developed alongside crops like cardamom, maize, and sugarcane. With the progression of coffee cultivation came the need for cooperatives to protect and support farmers. Today, Anacafé is the national coffee institute that provides resources for Guatemalan coffee workers across many regions of the country.
In the southwest side of this diverse country sits its most famous coffee-producing region: Huehuetenango (generally pronounced as “way-way-ten-ango). This region sits amongst the mountainous areas of the country and farmers position their coffee farms at high altitudes to yield balance and complexity in their lots. This is the case with our coffee, Guatemala Waykan.
The microclimate of the Huehuetenango region lends tasting notes like milk chocolate and toffee, and the high altitude of the region (1600-1800 masl) gives a unique, lingering sweetness. This lot is a washed process coffee, and contains numerous coffee varietals (Bourbon, Caturra, Catimor, Maragogype, and Pache) that contribute to its complex layers.
In this region’s dialect, Waykan means “light that shines in the sky at night” and this coffee certainly shines as a staple on our shelves.
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Type
Single Origin -
Roast
Medium -
Region
Central America -
Flavor Profile
Sweet , Fruity , Medium Body
Huehuetenango Region, Guatemala
In the Maya Q’qnjobal dialect in the region, “waykan” means "light that shines in the sky at night.” This Waykan coffee was cultivated by farmers within the indigenous communities of Huehuetenango and has all the sweet, citric flavors we've come to love from the region. The Central American country of Guatemala is home to a unique environment especially suited to growing coffee. The horizontal mountain ranges spanning the country create regions of vastly different climates and terrain.
