Guatemala Blue Ayarza Washed

Guatemala Blue Ayarza Washed – Green Coffee Beans

Origin: Guatemala
Region: Santa Rosa
Subregion: Lake Ayarza
Producer Type: Smallholder Farmers
Wet Mill: Ayarza Cherry Mill
Crop: 2025/26
Species: Arabica
Varieties: Anacafé 14, Bourbon, Catuaí, Pache & San Ramón
Altitude: 1,400–2,000 MASL
Process: Washed
Fermentation: Approx. 4–6 Hours
Mucilage Removal: Mechanical Demucilage
Grade: SHB Fancy
Screen: 15+
Tasting Notes: Red Apple, Chocolate & Light Tropical Fruits
Bag: 69kg GrainPro / Ecotact
Lot: P8003291-1

Guatemala Blue Ayarza Washed – Green Coffee Beans

A clean, sweet and versatile high-altitude washed Arabica from the communities surrounding Lake Ayarza in Santa Rosa, Guatemala.

Produced by smallholder farmers at elevations of 1,400–2,000 metres above sea level, this coffee combines five Arabica varieties and a carefully controlled washed process to create a balanced cup with notes of red apple, chocolate and light tropical fruits.

Blue Ayarza offers the familiar sweetness and chocolate character associated with Guatemala, but with enough fruit and brightness to make it equally interesting for both filter and espresso roasting.

Flavour Profile

Red Apple • Chocolate • Light Tropical Fruits

Expect a balanced and approachable cup with plenty of natural sweetness.

The red apple provides a clean, juicy acidity, while chocolate brings body and a smooth underlying sweetness. Subtle tropical fruit notes add another layer of complexity without overwhelming the classic Guatemalan character.

The result is a coffee that is bright enough for filter roasting but rounded enough to work exceptionally well as espresso.

Origin – Lake Ayarza, Santa Rosa

Blue Ayarza comes from the highlands surrounding Lake Ayarza in the Santa Rosa region of Guatemala.

The area is characterised by dramatic volcanic landscapes and high-elevation coffee farms ranging from approximately 1,400 to 2,000 MASL.

At these elevations, cooler temperatures slow the ripening of the coffee cherries, allowing sugars and flavour compounds to develop gradually before harvest.

The result is dense, high-quality green coffee with good sweetness and structure.

Smallholder-Grown Coffee

This coffee is produced by smallholder farmers from communities around Lake Ayarza.

Rather than each producer processing coffee independently, ripe cherries are delivered to the Ayarza Cherry Mill, where they can be handled using consistent quality standards.

Farmers are encouraged to deliver properly ripe cherries, helping improve both cup quality and consistency across the final lot.

Five Arabica Varieties

Blue Ayarza brings together several varieties commonly found in Guatemala:

Anacafé 14 • Bourbon • Catuaí • Pache • San Ramón

This mixture combines traditional varieties with more modern selections developed for the growing conditions and challenges faced by Guatemalan coffee farmers.

The diversity of varieties contributes to the coffee’s combination of sweetness, structure and fruit character.

Carefully Controlled Washed Processing

This coffee is processed using a modern variation of the washed method.

After ripe cherries are received and sorted, the coffee is depulped and allowed to ferment for approximately 4–6 hours.

The remaining mucilage is then removed mechanically.

This shorter fermentation period allows some additional flavour development while maintaining a clean and controlled cup profile.

Reduced-Water Processing

Mechanical demucilaging significantly reduces the amount of water required compared with some traditional washed-processing methods.

By combining a short fermentation stage with mechanical mucilage removal, the Ayarza team can retain some of the fruit character developed during fermentation while using less water during processing.

It is an efficient approach that contributes to both cup quality and more responsible water use.

SHB Fancy – Screen 15+

This coffee is prepared as:

SHB Fancy – Screen 15+

SHB stands for Strictly Hard Bean, a classification associated with coffee grown at higher elevations in Guatemala.

The cooler temperatures found at altitude encourage slower cherry maturation and typically produce harder, denser beans.

For roasters, that density can provide good structure and the ability to handle a range of roast styles.

In the Cup

Blue Ayarza offers an excellent balance between traditional and modern Guatemalan coffee.

Expect:

Red Apple • Chocolate • Light Tropical Fruits

The cup begins with juicy red-apple sweetness before moving into a smooth chocolate character.

A lighter tropical-fruit note adds complexity and brightness, creating a coffee that remains clean and approachable.

For Roasters

This is a particularly versatile green coffee.

A light-to-medium roast should highlight the red apple, acidity and lighter tropical fruit notes.

A medium roast will deepen the chocolate sweetness and body while retaining enough fruit to keep the cup lively.

It should work very well as both a single-origin filter coffee and a balanced espresso.

Recommended Brewing Methods

Once roasted, Blue Ayarza should perform well across:

• V60 and pour-over
• AeroPress
• Filter coffee
• Cafetière / French press
• Moka pot
• Single-origin espresso

For filter brewing, expect more red apple and tropical-fruit character.

For espresso and more developed roasts, the chocolate and sweetness should become increasingly prominent.

Why Choose Guatemala Blue Ayarza?

Blue Ayarza combines everything that makes Guatemala such a dependable specialty origin with a more modern processing approach.

Its combination of high-altitude smallholder production, multiple Arabica varieties, short fermentation and reduced-water mechanical washing creates a coffee that is both distinctive and highly versatile.

For roasters looking for a clean Central American coffee with plenty of sweetness but enough fruit to remain interesting, Blue Ayarza is an excellent choice.