About the bean Guatemala Antigua is one of our most popular offerings. Why? Because these beans are just so darn pleasing. The region they're sourced from is pure coffee romance: good soil, not particularly muggy, lovely amounts of sun, followed by cool nights, surrounded by volcanoes that, now and then, top up that good soil with dustings of mineral-rich ash. It's quite the spell these beans are under and perhaps why they're so lovely in the cup: fragrant, velvety, sweet, rich and well balanced. If only we could actually be in Antigua as we enjoy this dreamy brew. Quick Notes Region: Antigua Cupping Score: 85.5 points (a score of 80 points or above on a 100-point scale is graded "specialty" coffee) Supplier: Acate Estate Process: Wet milling, 75% sun-dried Altitude: 1,500 masl. SHB: Strictly Hard Bean specifies that the coffee was grown at an altitude above 1,350 meters. This term is also synonymous with SHG/Strictly High Grown; this classification is higher than HB. EP: European Process specifies that the raw beans are all hand sorted to remove any defective beans and foreign material. Taste Test American roast profile brewed in a Hario V60: A rave-worthy balance. The beans themselves are a syrupy gold. In the cup, the American roast profile gave us plenty of juiciness, fruit (strawberry), and light chocolate notes, honeyed by an overall molasses mouthfeel. A touch of spice in the fragrance left us with a memorable aftertaste. City+ roast profile brewed in a French Press: Going darker emboldened the caramel sweetness of the bean, tamped down the fruity brightness (acidity) and introduced an enjoyable tartness to the finish. We savoured more of a spice complexity at a darker roast, increased body, less fruit, more chocolate and, again, that velvety mouthfeel this bean is known for. When we sampled these beans at a Vienna roast profile for a previous lot, the result was a smoky, fuller character. The Acate Estate's Antigua seems to perform across the spectrum thanks to a balance that is quite exceptional. Cold Brew (City+ roast, coarse ground) brewed in a jar! You don't have to be fancy to chill. For our jar of cold brew, we used a 1-5 coffee-water ratio, then left it to sit refrigerated for 14 hours. Once out of the fridge, we strained the liquid through a filter and diluted it to half strength to serve. The result was a striking pop of brightness that amped up the strawberry (and even gave us some cranberry) - a juicy, singing tartness with an underlay of chocolate. Very refreshing and tasty. We also made scones! The Guatemala Antigua infused the butter used for one batch and as a topping drizzled over another. Delicious. Roast recommendation: Light to enhance flavour nuances, darker for chocolate depth. For an explanation of our different roasts, see here: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart.