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Guatemala Huehuetenango SHB EP

Green Coffee

Guatemala Huehuetenango SHB EP is a washed-process Guatemalan coffee from the Huehuetenango region of western Guatemala, sold in 20 kg bulk. The lot is produced by a small cooperative growing under mango, banana, and avocado shade trees. Huehuetenango sits at very high altitude in the Cuchumatanes mountains and is one of Guatemala's most established specialty coffee regions. SHB stands for Strictly Hard Bean, the altitude grade for Central American coffee grown above 1,200 metres. EP is European Preparation, the strictest defect standard in Guatemalan grading.

Cupping Profile

Expect a syrupy body, cherry notes, light chocolate, winey character, and a lingering aftertaste. These are pre-roast indications of cup potential, not finished-cup descriptors. Huehuetenango's very high altitude produces dense, slow-developing cherries that give the cup its structural depth, and acidity. The cultivar mix of Caturra, Red Pache, Typica, Catuai, and Bourbon reflects the cooperative's heritage Arabica genetics. The lot suits cafés and roasters building a single-origin filter program or a structured espresso component with cherry and chocolate character.

Processing

This lot is fully washed under the standard Huehuetenango method. Cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness, then pulped, fermented, and washed before sun-drying. Shade trees, including mango, banana, and avocado, moderate the microclimate and contribute to biodiversity around the coffee plots. The SHB EP grade combines the altitude minimums of Strictly Hard Bean with the strictest defect standard in Guatemalan classification. These standards narrow the lot to the most uniformly developed cherries at very high altitude.