Following this publication, the authorities of a Member State or of a third country, or a natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established or resident in a third country, may lodge, in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) an opposition with the Commission within three months from the date of this publication.

The product specification referred to in Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 is available in the Union register of geographical indications.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Café Antigua’

EU No: PGI-GT-03275 – 3.4.2024

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

‘Café Antigua’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Guatemala

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.8. Other products listed in Annex I to the Treaty (spices etc.)

Combined nomenclature code

09 – COFFEE, TEA, MATÉ AND SPICES

0901 – Coffee, whether or not roasted or decaffeinated; coffee husks and skins; coffee substitutes containing coffee in any proportion

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Café Antigua’ is the fruit of the Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora species of coffee plant, grown in the geographical area defined in Section 4 and having the following characteristics.

‘Café Antigua’ may be placed on the market as green coffee (also called ‘café oro’ [gold coffee] in Spanish), or as roasted coffee, either as beans or ground.

In terms of their physical characteristics, the green coffee beans are usually smaller compared to other strictly hard beans (95 % or more above screen 15), and are blue-green in colour, compact in appearance and have a pronounced, S-shaped groove, with a moisture level of between 10 % and 12 %. After roasting, the coffee beans are an intense dark colour, are traditionally uniform with a fairly corrugated texture, are compact, with a very narrow and irregular groove, and do not increase much in volume (45 % to 55 %).

The grind depends on the method used by each operator and is classified according to the following categories: ‘extra fine’ (below 400 μm), ‘fine’ (between 400 μm and 700 μm), ‘medium’ (between 700 μm and 900 μm) and ‘coarse’ (over 900 μm).

In chemical terms, ‘Café Antigua’ green coffee has an average total sugar content of around 80 g/kg, with values generally ranging from 71 g/kg to 88 g/kg. These results place the sugar content of ‘Café Antigua’ in the upper range outlined for coffees of the Coffea arabica species, which is predominant in the area.

In terms of caffeine content, ‘Café Antigua’ green coffee has an average value of around 1,13 %, ranging approximately from 0,90 % to 1,45 %. These values fall within the typical range outlined for coffees of the Coffea arabica species – which is predominant in the area – confirming a moderate caffeine content that corresponds to the characteristic chemical profile of this origin.

In terms of organoleptic characteristics, when drunk, ‘Café Antigua’ is fine and balanced, with aromatic notes of honey, caramel, apple and roasted walnut and a very full body. Its acidity is persistent but always pleasant, being neither sharp nor bitter, and combines very well with its sweetness and taste of chocolate.

According to the Specialty Coffee Association’s protocol, ‘Café Antigua’ has at least the following ratings:

—	Fragrance/aroma: 7,5

—	Taste: 7,75

—	Acidity: 8

—	Balance: 7,75

—	Overall: 7,75

—

Body: 8

—	Aftertaste: 7,75

‘Café Antigua’ must have zero Class I defects (primary defects) and no more than five Class II defects (secondary defects).

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

Coffee beans are the seeds of the tropical shrub with green leaves, known as the coffee plant, which belongs to the family Rubiaceae and the genus Coffea. In the geographical area defined by the PGI, two coffee species are commonly grown: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora. Specifically, the varieties of these species that can be used as raw material to produce coffee (green or roasted) covered by the PGI are as follows: Typica (or Arábigo or Típica Arábiga), Caturra, Bourbón, Pache Común, Pache Colis, Pacamara, Mundo Novo, Maragogype, Villalobos, Villa Sarchí and Catuaí.

‘Cafe Antigua’ may consist of one of these varieties or a mixture of them.

3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

The steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area are planting and harvesting the coffee cherries, wet-processing them and then drying the coffee beans. Depending on the state of the product, the steps are as follows:

A.	planting the coffee plants and their shade trees;

B.	growing the coffee plants;

C.	harvesting the coffee cherries;

D.	wet-processing the coffee cherries;

E.	storing the parchment coffee;

F.	drying the coffee beans.

The process of roasting and grinding the coffee beans, where relevant, may take place outside the defined geographical area.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

—

3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The following logos may be used both on bags of green coffee intended for export and on the packaging of roasted coffee beans and ground roasted coffee, provided that the name of the plantation on which the coffee originates is given:

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The defined geographical area comprises the region of the Sacatepéquez Department made up of the following municipalities: the southern part of Sumpango which borders Pastores and Jocotenango and is below 2 500 metres above sea level; the north-western part of Santa María de Jesús which borders Antigua Guatemala and is below 2 500 metres above sea level; the entire area of Pastores, Jocotenango, Santa Catarina Barahona, San Miguel Dueñas, Ciudad Vieja and Antigua Guatemala which is below 2 500 metres above sea level; the entire western area of Magdalena Milpas Altas and Santa Lucia Milpas Altas which borders Antigua Guatemala and is below 2 500 metres above sea level; the northern part of Alotenango which borders San Miguel Dueñas and Ciudad Vieja and is between 1 300 and 2 500 metres above sea level; and the part of El Tejar which is below 2 500 metres above sea level. All of the above are municipalities of the Republic of Guatemala.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link between ‘Café Antigua’ and its geographical area is based on the product characteristics.

I.   Natural factors: agro-ecological conditions

—   Relief, altitude and climate

The determining geographical factor for ‘Café Antigua’ is the fact that the entire production area is a closed volcanic valley – the Panchoy valley. This provides the area with the ideal altitude, temperature and rainfall for this crop.

The defined geographical area covers only 172 km2. The size of the area is ideal for ensuring that the PGI is homogeneous and manageable, as it guarantees the homogeneity of the agro-ecological factors and therefore of the product.

The first of these homogeneous factors is the altitude.

Between its lowest point (1 370 m) and its highest (2 240 m), the defined geographical area has an altitude range of 870 m. The coffee plantations are in any case below 1 980 m, so the effective altitude range is 610 m.

Another effect of the particular mountainous terrain, which comprises a closed valley, is the rain shadow, which means that air saturated with moisture is discharged to the ocean side of the mountain while the other side, in this case the valley, receives less moisture.

In Antigua, the Panchoy valley itself is open to the Pacific Ocean, which allows some humidity; however, due to the actual shape of the valley, this humidity decreases as you move further north. Specifically, as we move from south to north into the valley, annual rainfall decreases from more than 1 500 mm south of Alotenango to 1 000 mm north-west of Pastores. The region has a particularly dry climate compared to other select regional coffee areas.

The ‘Café Antigua’ area generally has a water deficit, something which is not very common in coffee areas. In addition, the prevailing relative humidity in the area across the year – 65 % – is the lowest out of all the areas growing select regional coffees.

However, during months with a water deficit, the availability of moisture in the soil, owing to the volcanic pumice, is more than 50 % of field capacity. In other words, the coffee plants have the moisture they need to develop despite the environment being dry.

Causal link

The limited altitude range ensures that all the coffee produced in the area is of a quality at least equivalent to strictly hard beans (SHB). This is because, with its latitude and prevailing winds, the altitude of the PGI’s geographical area results in an average annual temperature of 18,4 °C, ranging between 18 °C and 22 °C.

In this regard, several studies have shown that the factor that actually determines the quality of a cup of coffee is the average annual temperature of its production area, rather than the altitude. An average annual temperature of 18 °C to 20,5 °C gives the coffee the utmost intensity in terms of bouquet, acidity and body, and these are the very factors that distinguish ‘Café Antigua’ (a persistent but always pleasant acidity, neither sharp nor bitter, which combines with its sweetness and taste of chocolate; and a score of at least 8 on the SCA scale for the ‘body’ attribute, as described in section 3.2 of this document).

In addition, the region’s generally dry climate conditions are another factor determining the link between the product and the area. It is important to note that moisture has a bearing on the processing of the parchment coffee. This, combined with the absence of rainfall during the harvest months, makes it easier to sun-dry the parchment coffee in the ‘Café Antigua’ area and to achieve its commercial moisture content naturally without the need for dryers. It also stops fungi growing on the coffee cherries on the tree and during subsequent steps. Furthermore, in dry conditions, the sugar and other substances present in the coffee pulp and mucilage are more concentrated as there is less water to dilute them, adding character to the coffee.

Additionally, low relative humidity and low cloud cover favour heat loss during the night. The surrounding mountains also cast a shadow over the coffee plants in the early morning and in the evening. This results in colder nights and longer hours of cold than in the other coffee regions. The shade tree cover in the ‘Café Antigua’ geographical area therefore tends to be denser than in other regions, creating a microclimate within the plantations. The coffee plants respond to these hours of cold by increasing production of carbohydrates/sugars, improving the coffee beans’ organoleptic characteristics – specifically by contributing to Café Antigua’s typical sweetness. This ‘extreme’ climate results in exceptionally compact beans, which is another defining characteristic of ‘Café Antigua’.

—   Soil

1.	All the soils in the region are deep, and develop on dark, loose, recent volcanic ash.

2.	Their concentrations of reserves of phosphorous, copper, iron, manganese and zinc are suitable (medium to high concentration) for growing coffee.

3.	The soils have an acidity range that makes the nutrients in them – whether naturally present in the soil or from fertiliser – available in a more efficient way.

In general terms, the soils in the region consist of rich volcanic soil, containing large quantities of pumice stone which helps with moisture retention. From time to time, the soil receives a new layer of ash from the Volcán de Fuego.

Causal link

The numerous minerals in the volcanic soil are an important supply of nutrients to the coffee plants, contributing to their healthy growth. These soil characteristics contribute to the notes of the bouquet – evoking honey, caramel, apple and roasted walnut – and of the taste, which is characterised by its persistent but always pleasant acidity, with no pungency or bitterness, and which combines very well with its sweetness and taste of chocolate when drunk. These are all typical features of ‘Café Antigua’.

II.   Human factors

The human aspect also has an impact on the quality and prestige of ‘Café Antigua’. Two factors are notable in this regard: land tenure and the post-harvest processes.

Between 90 % and 92 % of Sacatepéquez Department’s production comes from medium or large plantations (upwards of 41 quintales of green coffee). This production system involves a skilled workforce, and intermediaries are kept to a minimum.

In addition, the region has a coffee-growing tradition dating back centuries, which has a positive impact on the quality of the product. For this reason, almost all plantations have their own wet-processing facilities.

The history of coffee in Guatemala began in this region, in Antigua itself. In around 1760, in the cloister of the Compañía de Jesús, Jesuit priests planted the first coffee plants in Guatemala.

There is evidence of recognition of Antigua’s coffee from as early as 1945. The Convención Cafetalera de Centroamérica y México [Coffee-growing Convention of Central America and Mexico] found ‘Antigua’ coffee to be the country’s top ‘dream brand’.

Causal link

Having a skilled workforce and a minimal number of intermediaries reduces post-harvest losses in quality.

In addition, most of the processing facilities allow coffee to be sorted by quality, at which point it is vital to follow processes that ensure the coffee’s traceability and identify its origin.

In areas with a long tradition such as this one, varieties are used that have adapted to the region’s climate and soil, and in addition the technical expertise and attitudes to quality are passed down from one generation to the next and have been consolidated over time.

Finally, the dry climate that is characteristic of the defined area also influences the production method, in particular by allowing the coffee to be dried in the sun. This sun-drying technique favours the formation of kahweol, a substance that contributes to the particular blue-green colouring of ‘Café Antigua’ beans and is one of the factors that contribute to the coffee’s aroma – characterised by aromatic notes of honey, caramel, apple and roasted walnuts.

Reference to publication of the product specification

Entry No 1, Folio 1, Volume 1 of Designations of Origin, Guatemala Intellectual Property Registry, relating to file No 2006-01485 ‘Café Antigua’.

Decision granting registration of 11 July 2008, published on 10 December 2008, in accordance with Article 86 of Guatemala’s Intellectual Property Act (Decree No 57-2000).

---

(1)  Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2019/787 and (EU) 2019/1753 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (OJ L, 2024/1143, 23.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1143/oj).