On the southwest shore of Lake Atitlan surrounded by volcanic mountains, lies the bustling town of San Pedro La Laguna. For centuries the town has been inhabited primarily by Mayan ancestors known as the Tz’utujil people. Coffee hailing from the Lake Atitlan region are grown along the slopes of the numerous area volcanoes. The coffees grown here develop clean sweetness and sparkling acidity due to the combination of rich volcanic soil, good elevation, an average rainfall of about 2,000mm, and a relatively cool average temperature. Harvested beans are washed with the waters of Lake Atitlan.
This coffee represents the best lots from some of the smallholder producers located along the West coast of Lake Atitlan.
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping the Guatemala San Pedro La Laguna, from Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THEDETAILS
region: San Pedro La Laguna, Sololá Department, Guatemala
farm: N/A
producer: smallholder farmers
association: N/A
elevation: 1500 – 1600 meters above sea level
cultivars: Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai
process: fully washed, patio dried
CUPPINGNOTES
The aroma of the Guatemala San Pedro La Laguna is sweet and fragrant. Notes of caramel, toffee, apple pie, red wine, soft florals, and cooking spices.
My first few sips from the cup present my palate with a medium-bodied coffee with a soft, silky mouthfeel. The coffee is a little roasty, and I’m tasting just a little bit of copper and smoke; it’s pretty negligible, though, as it’s not overtaking the flavor profile. The flavor follows the nose; sweet flavors of caramel, toffee, nougat and juicy red apple, raisin, and plum. There’s a distinct merlot wininess to the coffee, and the roast level is really amplifying the coffee’s natural spice flavors. The allspice, clove, and black pepper nuances, coupled with the merlot tannins, are making the coffee more like a mulled wine.
FINALTHOUGHTS
Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters’s Guatemala San Pedro La Laguna is a tasty coffee, though a bit marred by its roast level. It’s a good coffee that could have been better. It possesses that classic Guatemalan flavor profile – mellow, sugary sweet, red fruits, nuts… It’s a pretty straightforward Latin American breakfast coffee, and one that I enjoyed cupping. It would have benefited from being just a touch less developed, though.
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Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.