George Howell Coffee
As a coffee lover, there’s nothing quite like trying a new brew that surprises your taste buds. George Howell Coffee’s Las Palomas is one such coffee that kept my tongue on its toes with its unique flavor profile. While the tasting notes listed tangerine, limeade, and milk chocolate, my experience was partially the opposite of those descriptors. The aroma had milk chocolate notes, but the flavor itself was bursting with bright citrus – tangerine and limeade for sure. I’ve mentioned in the past that most citrus notes taste similar to me, and that was mostly true here as well. Interestingly, this flavor profile is almost identical to one from my previous review, Guadalupe Miramar. The key difference being that the flavor in Las Palomas is “limeade” whereas it was “limes” for Guadalupe Miramar. When it came to tasting, the difference between limeade and lime was noticeable, as I felt I definitely got a slight lime flavor that I felt was absent in the Guadalupe Miramar coffee. One last quirky note about this coffee. I couldn’t help noticing that the smell of the coffee brewing in my french press had a weirdly familiar acidic smell. It honestly reminded me of an Italian red sauce being heated in a pan. Strange, but delicious.If you’re a fan of vibrant, fruity coffees, Las Palomas is definitely one to try.
Let’s shift our focus to the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala, where this coffee was born. Nestled in the soaring Cuchumatanes mountains, which extend along the western edge of Guatemala near the Mexican border, this area has been producing exceptional coffee for centuries. The region’s name, from the Nahuatl words “Huehue” meaning ancient and “Tenango” meaning walled place, hints at its rich history and origins as home to the Maya civilization.
Huehuetenango’s unique climate and geography create the perfect environment for growing coffee. The region sits at elevations ranging from 4,600 to 6,600 feet above sea level, with a cool, misty climate moderated by the towering mountain ranges. The nutrient-rich volcanic soil provides a fertile foundation. These conditions stress the coffee plants just the right amount, allowing them to develop a beautifully bright acidity and complexity of flavor. Many consider Huehuetenango among the finest coffee-producing regions in the world, with its beans frequently scoring high marks for quality. Las Palomas showcases the signature vivid, fruit-forward profile characteristic of this legendary origin. For coffee connoisseurs, brews from Huehuetenango should be at the top of the must-try list.
