The Quetzal (the national bird of Guatemala) Program was born after the creation of “Regional Select - Waykan”, which was our way of highlighting the distinct regional differences we saw coming out of Guatemala. We heard from producers that they wanted to sell us more of their coffee, and Quetzal as a program allows us to buy more and pay more along the larger quality spectrum for high quality coffees from these hardworking men and women in Guatemala.

High-grown, hard-bean coffees from Guatemala are a staple offering for us as they are for many coffee roasters: The crisp acidity, full body, and toffee sweetness found in these coffees make them valuable as approachable and affordable single-origin brews, or as backbone blend components that layer nicely with more complex or fruitier complements.

Process Method: The Washed process varies greatly across the growing regions of Guatemala due in large part to the different terroir and terrain that exists from place to place there, but for the most part the primary difference in style is in the length of time that the coffee is allowe to ferment. Generally speaking, coffee is picked ripe and depulped the same or the following day, then allowed to ferment for anywhere between 12–48 hours, depending on the climate. The coffee is then washed clean of its mucilage and spread on patios or raised beds to dry.