Pour Over Flavor Profile and Taste Description of Single Origin Coffee Beans from Honduras Santa Barbara Region

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Introduction

Coffee cultivation began in Honduras in 1804. Today, there are 280,000 hectares of coffee farms, all operated by small-scale coffee farmers whose plantations are mostly smaller than 3.5 hectares. These small farmers account for 60% of Honduras's coffee production. In 2011, Honduras's coffee production surpassed Guatemala, and by 2012, it became the world's second-largest exporter of washed Arabica beans, second only to Brazil. Currently, it ranks seventh globally in production volume. 92% of Honduran coffee farmers are small-scale individuals, and coffee-related workers represent 12.5% of the total population of 8 million, making coffee an extremely important crop in Honduras. In the coffee plantations, farmers harvest red coffee cherries, process them through washing and fermentation, and grade them according to market demands to satisfy consumers' different taste preferences. Honduras produces three million bags of coffee annually, supplying high-quality coffee with unique flavor profiles in large quantities and excellent quality. It has now become the largest coffee-producing country in Central America and one of the world's top ten coffee-exporting nations. Honduras's coffee industry involves hundreds of thousands of families' livelihoods and provides one million job opportunities, making it a vital economic agricultural sector for the country.

Honduras's major producing regions are distributed across the western and southern areas, with six main regions: Copan, Opalaca, Montecillos, Comayagua, Agalta, and El Paraico. The average cultivation altitude ranges from 1,300 to 1,500 meters above sea level. The coffee varieties are 100% Arabica, with 69% classified as HG grade, 12% as SHG grade, and 19% as CS grade. Main coffee varieties planted include Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Villa Sarchi, and Lempira. Honduras coffee has consistently maintained high quality, and its prices are also the most competitive among Central American countries. The coffee beans are small, round, and light blue-green, belonging to mild fruit acidity with full body and slightly sweet taste, making them suitable for both blended and single-origin coffee. They are suitable for medium to dark roasting and are mainly exported to the United States, Germany, and Japan.

Honduras is now the largest coffee-producing country in Central America, with production continuously increasing in recent years. In 2012, due to favorable international coffee prices, that year's coffee production exceeded 5 million bags from 2010, with significantly increased production volume and continuously improving quality. The largest coffee-producing region in Honduras is the Santa Barbara area, located in western Honduras, northwest of Lake Yojoa. This region has developed into a famous coffee-producing area in Honduras over the past few years. This region is also home to the renowned agronomist Mr. Angel Arturo Paz, who owns a post-processing facility - San Vicente Processing Plant - in the town of Peña Blanca, Santa Barbara province, north of Lake Yojoa in the western region. He has been a consistent winner in Honduras's Cup of Excellence (COE) competition.

San Vicente Processing Plant purchases coffee cherries produced by small farmers from surrounding towns such as El Cielito, Las Flores, and El Cedral (each of these places has at least 35 families and one school). Although the small quantities usually make it difficult to separate these small farmers' output batches independently, the coffee produced in these regions has consistently impressed with its high sweetness and fruity notes.

San Vicente is a family-owned processing plant that is well-known locally. Through projects assisting farmers in improving cultivation techniques and modifying production equipment, it is dedicated to building close relationships with producers and rigorously quality-controls every batch through coffee cupping. This batch from San Vicente Processing Plant with Rainforest Alliance SHG certification is produced by combining coffee from small farmers in surrounding areas for joint production and marketing. Because each coffee farmer has an average planting area of only 1-2 hectares, the quantity of green coffee beans produced cannot be sold independently, so they must be combined for batch marketing, somewhat like a production cooperative or coffee production and marketing group.

Honduras

Population: 8,250,000

Although it is not described by HCAFE as a coffee-growing region, many coffee roasters label coffee from Honduras's Santa Barbara region. Several coffee-growing areas cross into Santa Barbara (a government department of the country). Some might say it needs its own description, but it seems more appropriate to list the growing regions according to official principles. There are also excellent Pacas variety batches from the Santa Barbara region that, when in good condition, possess a unique and fruity flavor profile that is absolutely worth pursuing.

Honduras Santa Barbara Estate

COPAN

The Copan region is located in the city of Copan in western Honduras, with the most famous being the local Mayan ruins. This area borders Guatemala, and such regions remind me to value the actual origin of coffee rather than the producing country. In fact, dividing by country is somewhat arbitrary, because consumers find it difficult (unfortunately) to distinguish whether coffee beans come from Honduras or Guatemala. The Copan region is located north of the Santa Barbara coffee region.

Altitude: 1,000-1,500m

Harvest: November - March

Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai

OPALACA

The Opalaca region is located in the southern area of Santa Barbara, as well as Intibuca and Lempira. It is named after the Opalaca mountain range that extends through the region.

Altitude: 1,100-1,500m

Harvest: November - February

Varieties: Bourbon, Catuai, Typica

Honduras Santa Barbara Region, La Fortuna Town (La Fortuna, Quimistan) - Santa Barbara, La Fortuna Estate is diligently cultivated and operated by Oscar Orlando Melgar.

Cupping Notes

Juicy, bright acidity, floral, nutty, apple, milk chocolate, tropical fruits, very rich and varied flavors, long aftertaste

Product Name: Honduras San Vicente Processing Plant SHG

(Honduras San Vicente Rain Forest SHG)

Region: Santa Barbara Province, Pena Blanca Town

Processing Plant: San Vicente Processing Plant (Beneficio San Vicente)

Varieties: Pacas, Catuai, Bourbon

Grade: SHG

Altitude: 1300 to 1500 meters

Certification: Fair Trade

Flavor: Brown sugar, almond, toasted bread, chocolate, balanced, sweet tones.

FrontStreet Coffee Honduras Coffee Roasting Recommendation

Because Honduras coffee flavors mostly tend toward chocolate and nuts, FrontStreet Coffee recommends medium-dark roasting to increase the caramelization reaction time, thereby highlighting its chocolate, nutty, and full-bodied characteristics. For brewing, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a KONO dripper with medium grind, water temperature around 88°C, powder-to-water ratio of 1:13-1:14, and extraction time of one minute fifty seconds.

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