The highlands of Guatemala produce several of the world’s finest and most distinctive coffees. The mountain basin surrounding the beautiful colonial city Guatemala Antigua produces the most distinguished highland coffees. Generally, Guatemala has preserved more of the traditional typica and bourbon varieties of arabica than many other Latin American growing countries, which may account for the generally superior complexity of the Guatemala cup. Most Guatemala coffee is grown in shade, ranging from rigorously managed shade on large farms to the serendipitous thickets of small growers.
