Guatemala BLUE AYARZA from Kmen Coffee Roasters is one of those espressos that can surprise you from the very first sip. The flavor profile features notes of cherry cola, tropical fruit, and chocolate pralines, which together create an unusually sweet and distinctive profile. Although this coffee has intense fruitiness, it doesn’t come across as overly wild or chaotic. On the contrary, it offers a pleasantly full body, low to medium acidity, and a long, sweet aftertaste that makes every subsequent sip demand your attention.
The coffee comes from the Ayarza area in Guatemala’s Santa Rosa region, where the Ayarza Cherry Mill processing station collaborates with a number of local farmers, including Arnaldo López. Instead of individual growers processing the coffee separately, ripe cherries are brought to a single location where the entire process takes place under careful supervision. In addition, farmers receive a bonus for delivering perfectly ripe cherries, which helps improve the quality of the resulting lots as well as their financial compensation. This approach allows for consistent results while supporting local farming communities.
The distinctive character of this coffee is the result of a 120-hour anaerobic fermentation of whole coffee cherries. After careful selection, the cherries are sealed in airtight containers, where they ferment without oxygen. They are then dried first in the sun and then in mechanical dryers until they reach optimal moisture content. It is precisely this process that helps develop a pronounced sweetness, notes reminiscent of ripe fruit, and a characteristic depth of flavor, making Guatemala BLUE AYARZA one of those coffees you won’t soon forget.
- Producer: Arnaldo López and other farmers
- Farm: Blue Ayarza Cherry Mill