Honduras Marcala La Paz Marcala Coffee Region Characteristics - El Naranjo Sweet Orange Estate

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El Naranjo Estate: A Premium Coffee from Marcala

El Naranjo is located in Marcala, one of Honduras's most renowned coffee-growing regions. In 2016, El Naranjo achieved 14th place in the Cup of Excellence competition, allowing owner Carmen Fabiola Fiallos Melendez to realize her dream of becoming a specialty coffee farmer.

Carmen's husband was already a coffee farmer when they married, and it was then that Carmen began working with coffee. The couple works together seamlessly—she handles harvesting and drying processes, while her husband manages depulping. They hope to pass on not just a coffee farm to their two children, but a passion for coffee as well.

Marcala belongs to the La Paz region, producing coffees that can rival those from Honduras's other famous growing region, Santa Barbara. The Caballero family also has farms in Marcala, and their La Paz farm won the championship in 2016.

Coffee Details

Honduras Marcala El Naranjo Catuai Washed

Producing Country: Honduras

Region: Marcala, La Paz

Estate: El Naranjo

Owner: Carmen Fabiola Fiallos Melendez

Altitude: 1,315 meters

Variety: Catuai

Processing Method: Washed

Award Record: 14th place, 2016 Honduras Cup of Excellence

About Catuai Variety

Catuai is a coffee variety we frequently encounter, with many high-quality Panama coffees actually being Catuai. In 1949, the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, developed Catuai by crossing the Mundo Novo variety with Yellow Caturra. After several generations of selection, it was officially released in 1972. Catuai is very popular among farmers due to its high yield and short plant stature, similar to Caturra, making it suitable for intensive cultivation. After its official release in the 1970s, it was introduced to Central American countries.

Catuai was introduced to Honduras in 1979 and commercially released in 1989, becoming widely popular among farmers. Today, it accounts for more than half of Honduras's total coffee production! Due to Catuai's short plant stature, it can be densely planted, and it produces excellent flavors at altitudes above 1,300 meters. The only drawback is its susceptibility to pests and diseases. Honduras's IHCAFE is working to develop hybrids of Catuai with Catimor to improve disease resistance.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method

Recommended Brewing Method: Pour-over

Dripper: V60

Grind Size: 3.5 (Fuji R440)

Water Temperature: 90±1°C

Blooming: 30g water, bloom for 30 seconds

Pouring Stages: Pour to 120g, pause, then slowly pour to 225g

Total Water: 30-120-225g

When all the coffee grounds layered in the dripper can be evenly saturated with hot water (rather than repeatedly extracting only a small portion of the coffee grounds), this prevents the coffee from developing sour and bitter flavors due to over-extraction. This approach achieves a full, balanced, mellow, and sweet flavor profile with rich characteristics. The ideal water stream shape should be wider at the top and narrower at the bottom—meaning the width of water coming from the spout should be broad, while the ending shape should be pointed.

Other Drip Brewing Recommendations:

French Press: Grind size 3.5-4, water temperature 86-88°C

AeroPress: Grind size 2.5, water temperature 86-88°C

Tasting Notes

The dry aroma features notes of spices, roasted peanuts, and chocolate. The wet aroma carries subtle herbal plant scents. Upon tasting, you can clearly detect flavors of orange peel, nuts, and cream, with characteristics reminiscent of a cup of lemon tea.

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473