Catalyst - Guatemala

🏆 Best of Summit — Best Coffee Roaster, 1st Place Winner

A honey-processed gem from the highlands of Quiché, Guatemala, Catalyst is fruit-forward and sweetly complex — built for the curious palate and the intentional cup.

Origin Details

• Producer: Joyabaj Mill (FECCEG)
• Region: Quiché Department, Guatemala
• Process: Honey
• Roast: Medium/Light
• Variety: Bourbon, Anacafe 14
• Certified: Organic
• Tasting Notes: Berry · Brown Sugar · Vanilla

The Story

Quiché is one of Guatemala's largest coffee departments, stretching from Chimaltenango's volcanic range to the Mexican border — and home to the K'iche' people, one of Guatemala's largest pre-Columbian indigenous groups. This coffee is grown by organic-certified smallholder farmers from the Chuaquenun community near Joyabaj (pronounced "ho-yah-bach"), processed at a newly built specialty wet mill operated by FECCEG, a farmer federation representing smallholder associations across Guatemala.

The honey process is a craft in itself: after depulping, the sticky parchment is laid on raised solar dryers and turned by hand daily for about a week. This careful drying preserves the natural fruit sugars from the pulp, yielding a sweeter, fruitier cup without the full fermentation of a natural process.

In the Cup

Expect a vibrant, fruit-forward experience — dominant mixed berry notes, a brown sugar sweetness, and a clean finish with a whisper of vanilla baking spice. Bright, balanced, and beautifully complex.