Guatemala Direct Trade – Sway Coffee Roasters

Guatemala produces some of the best specialty coffee in Central America. It is generally balanced and easy to drink and yet there is a lot of great variety between its eight growing regions. This Guatemalan coffee from Sway Coffee Roasters is from the Traditional Atitlán region, which is known to be aromatic with a bright citrus acidity and full body. This coffee is a direct trade relationship between Sway and the organization, Misión San Lucas Tolimán. The coffee is grown by about 150 individually owned plots all up and down the sides of the two volcanos that tower over a large crater lake. Guatemala is made up of a lot of different micro climates and the one in Atitlán created by the large crater lake and volcanic soil makes for an incredibly fertile area to grow coffee.

The coffee begins with a strong, sweet fragrance of toffee, cocoa powder and creamy chocolate. It is incredibly layered and a great foreshadowing of the coffee to come. As I began to drink the coffee, I tasted almonds, toffee and an overall sweetness. It has a gentle, round acidity, a sweet-toned structure, and a creamy, full mouthfeel. The aftertaste is fairly quick, but had a nice, brisk sweetness to it. The coffee is incredibly approachable and balanced and fits the profile for the region extremely well.

The Bottom Line

This Guatemalan coffee from Sway is a perfect example of the expected profile from a coffee of this region. Just because it lacks some of the complexity or unexpected qualities found in other coffees though doesn’t take away from it though. It is a delicious coffee that is so well balanced and approachable, I think anyone would enjoy it.