Introduction to Arbolito Estate in La Paz, Honduras - How to Best Enjoy Premium Honduran Coffee

The Road to El Retono Estate

High in the mountains about 50 kilometers southwest of the town of La Paz lies a remote stretch of country that is dry yet cool. As the land climbs past 1,500 meters, small farms with real potential begin to appear, and El Retono Estate — fresh off a win at the 2015 Cup of Excellence — sits deep within these mountains, high on a ridgeline.

The entrance to the estate stands at 1,720 meters. Several plots rest on the gentler slopes, while two more, tucked behind the processing plant, climb toward a peak at 2,000 meters. Coffee trees follow the steep hillsides all the way up to 1,800 meters.

When we visited, the estate was in the thick of harvesting and processing the 2016 crop. The owner's family, the pickers, and the pickers' children were all busy in the fields.

Even the ice-cream vendor on his motorbike made the rounds, treating the workers' children to something cold and turning the day into a small celebration.

El Retono Estate took third place in the Project Origin Best of Honduras Late Harvest 2016 competition organized by Sasa Sestic.

Honduras El Retono Natural

El Retono Estate, Natural Process

Region: Comayagua

Elevation: 1,780 m

Producer: El Retono Estate

Flavor Notes

Tropical fruit, starfruit juice, wine-soaked cherry, plum, and dried mango. Full body, balanced acidity, and a sweet finish.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends brewing this Honduran coffee with 88°C water, which draws out the tropical fruit, starfruit juice, and plum notes.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy the fruit-forward character of a natural-process coffee like this Honduran lot, FrontStreet's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry is a natural next step. Only fully ripe red cherries are selected and spread out on raised beds to dry, then given a medium-light roast. The result keeps the elegant floral notes and bright acidity of Yirgacheffe while layering in pronounced tropical fruit, a full fermented sweetness, and a lasting finish.

For something bolder, try FrontStreet's Ethiopia Sidamo Natural Huakui. Grown at high altitude in Sidamo and processed with the traditional natural method, it is roasted medium-light and pours as a dense, complex cup — light fermentation, florals, citrus, and mango over honeyed sweetness, cocoa, and a touch of spice, with a thick body and a long finish.