Guatemala SL28 Natural Process Coffee with Winey Notes

If you’ve ever opened a bag of winey, tropical-fruited coffee and wondered where such complexity comes from, the answer might lie in a remote Guatemalan highland farm. This isn’t your average natural process bean—it’s a carefully crafted lot grown at over 1600 metres, using a unique processing method to enhance fruity and vinous tones.

This 2015-imported Guatemalan SL28 coffee, processed as a winey natural, delivers notes of pineapple, dried apricot, and Bordeaux wine. It comes from a single microlot at 1675 metres in the New Oriente region, and is the result of a tailored partnership between a roaster and the farmer.

What Makes This Guatemalan Coffee Different?

This coffee originates from Plan del Guayabo, or “Guava Plain”, a farm nestled near Volcán de Suchitán in Guatemala’s far eastern New Oriente region. Unlike more accessible areas near the capital, New Oriente lies right at the border with Honduras. The area is part of Guatemala’s eight highland coffee zones, all set in volcanic, subtropical climates with steady rainfall and rich soils—a perfect environment for specialty coffee.

The farm is run by Mr. Benjamin Donado, whose family has been producing coffee here since 1990. In a region where steep slopes and altitude once discouraged coffee farming, the Donados have focused on high-quality, variety-specific lots using diverse processing methods. Their work is part of a broader shift away from bulk, untraceable SHB blends toward traceable, flavourful microlots.

The SL28 Variety: Rare and Distinctive

The beans are of the SL28 variety—an extremely rare cultivar in Central America. Originally discovered in 1931 near Lake Tanganyika in East Africa, SL28 was later named by the Scottish Laboratory in 1935 (hence ‘SL’), with ‘28’ being its selection number. It was cultivated extensively in Kenya but is now grown by only a few expert farms outside Africa.

SL28 was bred from a mix of French Mission, Yemeni Typica, and other genetic lines, with the goal of creating a high-yielding, disease-resistant coffee with exceptional cup quality. While yields didn’t meet early expectations, the variety is known for its large, bronze-tipped leaves, drought tolerance, and remarkable flavour profile—often featuring bright citrus, deep umami, and complex fruit notes.

Winey Natural Process: How Flavour Is Enhanced

This particular lot underwent a winey natural (or honey-style sun-dried) process. While the exact steps of fermentation and drying weren’t fully detailed in the source, the importer worked directly with Mr. Donado to define harvest standards and drying protocols—including turning frequency and the number of drying days—to achieve the targeted profile.

The result is a coffee with intense fruity and wine-like characteristics. Tasters report notes of pineapple, cantaloupe, dried apricot, candied lemon peel, Bordeaux wine, green tea, cinnamon spices, and a smoky prune-like depth. The overall cup is sweet, full-bodied, and richly layered.

According to the importer, this is the first time this winey natural version of SL28 has been imported, complementing a small prior offering of washed SL28 from the same farm. Both were custom microlots developed through direct collaboration, ensuring traceability and a focus on innovation in processing and variety.

New Oriente: From Bulk to Traceable Origins

The New Oriente region was once known for its informal coffee trade, where local farmers sold cherries to buyers who mixed and resold them as generic SHB lots under the New Oriente name. That approach erased origin identity and limited quality potential.

Today, forward-thinking traders—including the importers of this SL28—are working with farmers like Mr. Donado to produce traceable, high-flavour lots. These microlots are purchased at guaranteed prices, giving farmers the confidence to experiment with varieties and processes suited to their terroir. It’s a model that’s helping transform the region’s reputation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SL28 coffee variety?

SL28 is a rare coffee variety originating from East Africa, developed in the 1930s by the Scottish Laboratory. It has broad, reddish leaves, high drought resistance, and is known for complex flavours including citrus, umami, and deep fruit notes. It’s rare in Central America but grown by expert farms like Guatemala’s Plan del Guayabo.

Where is the Plan del Guayabo farm located?

Plan del Guayabo, meaning “Guava Plain”, is in Guatemala’s New Oriente region, near the Suchitán volcano and close to the Honduran border. It sits at 1675 metres above sea level and is managed by Mr. Benjamin Donado, whose family has produced coffee there since 1990.

What is winey natural coffee processing?

Winey natural (or winey sun-dried) is a processing method where coffee cherries are dried with the fruit still on the bean, often with careful management of fermentation and drying conditions to enhance fruity and vinous flavours. This lot features notes of pineapple, wine, and dried stone fruit.

How is this coffee different from typical Guatemalan SHB blends?

Unlike bulk SHB coffees that mix beans from various farms and regions, this is a traceable microlot grown at high altitude with a unique variety (SL28) and processed as a winey natural. It showcases distinct fruit and wine notes rather than generic chocolate or nut profiles.

Why is this SL28 lot considered special?

This SL28 is rare in Central America, grown at high elevation, and processed using a customised natural method to bring out winey and tropical fruit flavours. It results from a direct collaboration between the roaster and farmer, ensuring quality, traceability, and innovation.

What does this coffee taste like?

Flavour notes include pineapple, dried apricot, red wine, candied lemon peel, green tea, cinnamon, and smoky prune. The cup is sweet, full-bodied, and complex, with a rich fruit and wine character.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Natural Process Fans

Try FrontStreet’s Ethiopia Humbera (Humbera), a natural process Ethiopian coffee with intense berry and blueberry notes, or their Colombia Sidra for tropical fruit and winey layers. For a more chocolatey take, the Brazil Queen Manor offers caramelised sweetness with dried fruit. All are single-origin naturals or honey-processed beans that highlight fruit complexity. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.