Country: Honduras
Processing:Natural
Varietal: Catuai & IHCAFE 90
Region: La Paz
Cupping Score: 83.5
Altitude:1800M

Carlos Ernelio Ortiz owns this 20 hectare farm called Finca El Pedrero in the La Paz region of Honduras. Carlos has 15 hectares planted with traditional Honduran varieties plus some newer hybrids like IHCAFE 90 which is rust resistant. 

He also grows avocados here, so a visit always involves both delicious coffee and as many avocados as you can eat. Harvest takes places from January to April. Carlos owns a mechanical demucilaginator for washed coffees and selects only ripe coffees for naturals. All coffees are patio dried. 

La Paz, an area famous for coffee production in Honduras, is high in elevation with cool temperatures. These factors cause coffees to ripen slowly, developing sugars that are then processed in these comfortable climates. These coffees have high fruity sweetness with flavors of berries or peach.

Despite lacking the “sexy” reputation of other Central American coffee-growing countries like Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala, Honduras has quietly become the bigger producer, exporting more volume than any other nation in the region, and the seventh overall in the world for exports. While there is certainly quantity coming out of Honduras, it can be harder to find truly quality coffees here, though, because the country lacks the infrastructure to support the more nuanced specialty market its neighbors enjoy.

Country: Brazil
Processing:Anaerobic Natural
Varietal: Yellow Catuai
Region: Cerrado

This coffee comes to us from Ismael Andrade whom we were lucky enough to meet and visit in late 2019 before COVID hit. The Andrade family has been involved in coffee growing since 1901.

The Andrade family history began in 1901, with their ancestors at Capim Branco Farm, in Carmo do Paranaíba, High Cerrado, state of Minas Gerais. With the aim to produce high quality coffees, the new generation of Andrade family established their farms in this region during the 70’s.

In the early 90´s, with the need for expansion of coffee production, quality and volume improvement, the brothers acquired São Silvestre farm in Serra do Salitre, state of Minas Gerais, this farm produces high quality coffees because of its climate and altitude between 1.100 and 1.200 meters, which provides ideal conditions for growing coffee due to its perfect balance of wet and dry seasons. The volcanic soils are perfect for growing Yellow Icatu, Yellow Catuaí and Red Catuai varietals, which thrives here and accounts for the majority of the farm’s yield.

The Andrade family have been focussed on elevating the quality of microlots at São Silvestre through innovative, cutting edge processing techniques and investing in equipment. This lot is an anaerobically fermented natural for which cherry’s are sealed in a temperature controlled steel tank and purged of oxygen for controlled and repeatable fermentation. This is a great example of what Brazillian coffees have to ofer and we’re looking forward to visiting São Silvestre again later this year.

Country:  Colombia
Processing: Carbonic Macerated Natural
Varietal: Castillo
Region: Quindio
Altitude: 1,800m
Cupping Score: 88

Diofanor is one of the best specialty producers in the Quindio region of Central-West Colombia. Diafanor grows coffee above 1,600 metres and all under shadow. Diofanor has a stong belief in biodiversity and it shows on his farm with very little impact on the natural environment and no use of pesticides or chemical fertilisers. 

Carbonic macerated coffee processing is inspired by the wine making technique of the same name. Whole cherries are placed in sealed tanks and purged with CO2 to create a carbon dioxide rich environment. It can create very unique and complex flavours such as brown butter, rich fruits like feijoa and herbal notes.

Country: Timor Leste
Processing: Washed
Varietal: Timor Hybrid, Moka, Typica
Region:Parami, Ermera Municipality

Timor Leste is one of the world’s youngest countries gaining sovereignty in 2002. This washed coffee is sourced from the village of Parami in the Ermera region at an altitude above 1,700 metres. The coffee cherries are fermented for fifteen hours before undergoing a three week drying period across a combination of Colombia, Timor-Leste and African style beds.

This is the fourth year we are featuring the Parami Natural which was one of our favorites of 2021.