Honduras Cerro Azul

Finally get to launch this coffee which had given us a challenging time since we first did trial roasts on it. We went through quite a few trials (a little more than usual) before getting the roast profile which we feel brings out the best of this coffee.

Honduras is a country which we passed through the border twice during our past origin trips to El Salvador and Nicaragua, but never got a chance to actually spend time in this country. It is the top coffee producer in Central America this current year harvest based on a recent report from the Honduran coffee institute, IHCAFE. In the past and until recently, a significant amount of Honduran coffee were being smuggled into neighbouring Guatemala, where producers would pass them off as Guatemalan and get paid premiums. But so far this season, Honduran coffee has been fetching higher prices than Guatemalan coffee, as Honduran coffee gains quality recognition.

This new coffee, from Finca Cerro Azul, is situated in the department of Comayagua, in the municipality of Siguatepeque. Cerro Azul was an abandoned farm before the Mierisch family (our direct trade partner in Nicaragua) started a project to revitalise it in 2011. The farm lies on the other side of Lake Yojoa, and is blessed with micro-climates and conditions similar to their farms in Nicaragua. Together with farm managers Francisco Escobar and Lidia Zeledon, they had been working hard to transform this farm by removing existing IHCAFE and Lempira varietals and replacing them with better tasting Red Catuai, JavaNica and Laurina (naturally low caffeine coffee plants).

This year, when we visited the Mierisch family, we managed to cup some samples of different microlots from Cerro Azul. It was exciting for us as we would like to showcase Honduran coffee at Nylon after the delicious Finca Matilde we had earlier this year. However, when we returned to Singapore, those lots which we shortlisted were all sold out! Fortunately, we were recommended to try another microlot #255 to see if we like it. We did and hence, this microlot is now available at Nylon!

This microlot is of Red Catuai varietal, planted on a plot named Malpaso. This is a washed coffee, with 36 hours of fermentation and dried under the sun for 10 days.

We recommend this coffee for filter brew. On the nose, we get floral aromatics. In the cup, blackcurrants and berries at the beginning with sweet pear-like acidity. In the finish, we get hints of cinnamon. This is a rather complex cup but yet comforting in its own way. Take your time to drink this coffee, you might find the change in flavours rather intriguing.

• Farm: Cerro Azul
• Producer: Mierisch family
• Farm managers: Francisco Escobar and Lidia Zeledon
• Region: Rio Bonito, Siguatepeque, Comayagua
• Wet/Dry mill: Cerro Azul
• Varietal: Red Catuai
• Altitude: 1550m asl
• Processing: Washed and sun-dried

Honduras Finca Matilde

Coffee is a very important crop for Honduras. It accounts for more than a third of the country’s agricultural output. While Honduras is blessed with the right environmental factors: soil, altitude, climate, it has always sold its coffee as a commodity, with no price premium for its quality. For many years, many Honduran coffee growers smuggled their beans to Guatemala, where they would fetch a higher price due to Guatemala’s reputation for quality coffee.

Over the past few years, with more farmers better trained in agricultural practices, Honduras has attracted more buyers in the specialty coffee market. On the contrary, Honduran coffees are not commonly offered by roasters or cafés in Singapore as it’s not something which most coffee drinkers will look out for. This lack of demand pretty much accounts for why the supply is very much lacking locally.

We have been very lucky to be working with our importer based in Europe to source these beautiful beans from Finca Matilde, a farm run by Marysabel Caballero and her husband Moises Herrera. They inherited the land from Marysabel’s father, Don Fabio Caballero, who in turn inherited large areas of land in around Marcala (southwest of Honduras) from his father. The forefathers of this family have played a big role in pioneering coffee cultivation in Honduras. Moises manages approximately 200 hectares of coffee separated into 17 different farms.

They have since been extremely successful producing quality coffees and have contributed to the improving reputation of Honduran quality coffees. Everything they do at the farms is documented, and they invest considerable time and resources both in new equipment and planting of new coffee varieties in order to improve the quality of the coffee.

Don Fabio, Marysabel and Moises have always focused on quality, and they won 3rd prize at the annual SCAA “Coffee of the year” competition in 2010. They have also done well in the Cup of Excellence for many years, as one of the few producers from their area. As a result of this they have established close relationships with quality-oriented roasters like Stumptown, Intelligentsia and Tim Wendleboe.

• Farm: Finca Matilde
• Producer: Marysabel Caballero, Moises Herrera
• Region: La Paz, Marcala, Honduras
• Wet mill: Xinacla
• Altitude: 1482 m asl
• Varietals: New Catuaí, Old Bourbon, some Geisha and SL 28

Process: De-pulped, some demucilaged mechanically, but mainly dry fermented for 12 hours. The beans are then washed in channels, which helps sort out floaters and undeveloped beans from the heavier, more developed coffee. Soaked for 24 hours in running clean water. Patio dried for 12-16 days

Cupping notes: Floral notes in aroma. As an espresso, we taste more stone fruit flavours with liquorice sweetness in the finish. A juicy cup with medium intensity, the espresso is defined, balanced and complex. While we feel this coffee is more interesting as an espresso, when brewed with the Kalita wave dripper, the flavours become more delicate, highlighting hints of apricots and peaches. 

This coffee is a micro-lot and is currently available on our retail rack as a single origin espresso, just in time for your Christmas party.