Coffee region guide
San Marcos
산 마르코스
A volcanic coffee region associated with floral character and pronounced acidity, with community lots from areas including Corral Grande.
Also known as: Volcanic San Marcos
Place and growing environment
Warm conditions and abundant rainfall bring an early rainy season. Unpredictable harvest weather leads some farms to combine sun pre-drying with mechanical finishing.
Recorded flavors
- 01Floral
- 02Mango
- 03Milk chocolate
Processing
Washed
Grown varieties
Bourbon · Catuai · Typica · Pacamara · Gesha · Anacafe 14 · Pache Comun · Catimor · Caturra · Costa Rica 95
Bourbon
A traditional variety central to the ancestry of cultivated Arabica.
- Lineage
- Belongs to the Bourbon genetic group and underlies several compact varieties.
- Growing conditions
- Tall plants susceptible to leaf rust and coffee berry disease.
- Traits
- Strong high-altitude cup potential; fruit ripens relatively early.
Catuai
A productive compact variety released by Brazil's IAC in 1972.
- Lineage
- Selected from a cross of Mundo Novo and Caturra.
- Growing conditions
- Its compact stature supports dense planting; susceptible to leaf rust.
- Traits
- Separate selections produce red or yellow fruit.
Typica
A foundational Arabica variety distributed worldwide via Java.
- Lineage
- Seeds transferred from India to Java in the late seventeenth century founded the modern Typica variety.
- Growing conditions
- Tall, low-yielding trees susceptible to major coffee diseases.
- Traits
- Adapted to cool growing conditions and valued for cup quality in Central America.
Pacamara
A large-bean variety developed by El Salvador's ISIC with high cup potential.
- Lineage
- Selected from Pacas × Maragogipe.
- Growing conditions
- Generally compact and susceptible to rust and Ojo de Gallo disease.
- Traits
- Very large seeds; traits continue to segregate between generations.
Gesha
A name used for several genetically distinct coffee lineages originating in Ethiopia.
- Lineage
- Descendants of accession T2722 distributed in Panama form a distinct lineage.
Anacafe 14
A compact cultivar released by Guatemala's ANACAFÉ in 2014.
- Lineage
- Believed to originate from a natural Catimor–Pacamara cross.
- Growing conditions
- Very large beans, late ripening and drought tolerance.
Catimor
A group of distinct bred varieties sharing similar parentage.
- Lineage
- Developed by crossing Caturra with rust-resistant Timor Hybrid lines.
- Growing conditions
- Successive selection and field trials produced distinct varieties in different countries.
Caturra
A compact Bourbon mutation discovered in Brazil.
- Lineage
- A single-gene mutation subsequently selected by IAC from 1937.
- Growing conditions
- Short internodes and closely spaced branches suit dense planting; susceptible to leaf rust.
- Traits
- Widely cultivated in Central America and used as a benchmark in variety trials.
Lot details
El Platanillo Pacamara
Stuardo Coto
San Rafael Pie de la Cuesta, San Marcos
- Variety · process
- PacamaraAnaerobic natural
- Tasting notes
- Berry jam · Cane sugar · Floral
Herminio Bio
Herminio Castro
Corral Grande, San Marcos · Harvest 2024/2025
- Variety · process
- Bourbon · Pache ComunWashed
- Tasting notes
- Maple syrup · Fruit tea · Macadamia
Manos Campesinas regional washed
Plan Villa Nueva / Media Cuesta / Aprocafe ACDI / Manos Campesinas
San Marcos, Guatemala
- Variety · process
- Bourbon · Catuai · Catimor · Caturra · Costa Rica 95Fully washed; sun-dried
- Tasting notes
- Lavender · Lemongrass · Lemon · Pomelo · Rosemary
Sources
- Volcanic San Marcos(opens in a new tab)
Anacafé / Guatemalan Coffees · Accessed
- Guatemala FT-FLO Organic San Marcos SHB EP(opens in a new tab)
Royal Coffee · Accessed
- Región I 2025: El Platanillo, San Marcos(opens in a new tab)
Anacafé · Accessed
- El Platanillo Pacamara(opens in a new tab)
Bold Bean Coffee Roasters · Accessed
- Herminio Bio — 2024/2025(opens in a new tab)
Rast Kaffee · Accessed
- Manos Campesinas regional washed — Beans & Rice(opens in a new tab)
Beans & Rice · Accessed