Characteristics and Flavor Profile of Honduras Shigua SHB Specialty Coffee Beans - Honduras Coffee Bean Story

According to FrontStreet Coffee's research, Honduras is a mountainous country in Central America with a population of over 8.3 million and an area of approximately 112,000 square kilometers. Located in northern Central America, it borders the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Gulf of Fonseca in the Pacific Ocean to the south. It shares borders with Nicaragua and El Salvador to the east and south, and Guatemala to the west. More than three-quarters of the country consists of mountains and plateaus. Mountain ranges extend from west to east, with volcanic plateaus inland featuring many intermontane valleys, and coastal plains. The country has a tropical climate, with the coastal plains experiencing a tropical rainforest climate.

Honduras's geographical conditions are no less favorable than its neighboring coffee-producing countries such as Guatemala and Nicaragua. Honduras has 280,000 hectares of coffee plantations, predominantly small-scale farms mostly smaller than 3.5 hectares. These coffee plantations account for sixty percent of Honduras's total coffee production.

The growing areas are located in mountainous regions where people harvest coffee beans by hand, followed by careful processing to produce higher-quality coffee beans. Honduras harvests three million bags of coffee annually, providing abundant, high-quality coffee. It has now become one of the world's top ten coffee-exporting countries.

In Honduras, coffee-producing regions are divided into six main areas distributed across the western and southern parts: Santa Barbara, El Paraiso, Copan, La Paz, Comayagua, and Olancho. The average growing altitude is above 1,100 meters. The coffee varieties are Arabica species, with 69% classified as HG "High Grown" grade, 12% as SHG "Strictly High Grown," and 19% as CS. The main varieties include Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Villa Sarchi, and Lempira.

Honduran coffee can reveal multiple layers of flavor depending on the degree of roasting. Medium roasting can bring out the sweetness of the beans to the extreme, while dark roasting enhances bitterness but the sweetness does not disappear. Generally, medium roasting offers the best taste profile with rich, unique aromas, making it highly favored by Honduran coffee enthusiasts.

High-quality Honduran coffee uses the washed processing method. Coffee beans typically undergo soaking first, during which defective fruits float to the surface and can be discarded. The good fruits are then placed in a pulping machine, where rotational force removes the fruit skin. The pulped fruits are screened by machine to select high-quality beans. Typically, larger fruits indicate better maturity. Honduran coffee is dried using the natural sun-drying method, which is why it always carries a subtle fruity aroma in its flavor profile.

FrontStreet Coffee Honduras Sigua RFA EP Coffee Beans

Estate: BECAMO

Grade: SHB

Processing: Washed

Altitude: 1,200-1,800 meters

Cupping Notes: Slightly acidic, overall flavor is balanced, bright, with good body

FrontStreet Coffee's French Press Coffee Parameters

1. Brewer: French Press

2. Water Temperature: 88°C

3. Grind Size: Granulated sugar

4. Roast Level: Medium-dark roast

5. Steeping Time: 2.5 minutes

Flavor: Balanced, chocolate notes, persistent caramel sweetness in the finish

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Method: Use 15g of coffee grounds, grind to granulated sugar consistency, steep at 88°C water temperature for 2.5 minutes, press the plunger, filter, and pour out the coffee.

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