Introduction to El Espejo Farm - Washed Pacas Coffee Flavor from Honduras

Honduras has grown coffee for more than two hundred years, since 1804. Statistics show a current cultivation area of 280000 hectares, dominated by smallholders: 92% of Honduran coffee farmers are individuals, most with plantations under 3.5 hectares, and together these small farmers account for 60% of production. Coffee is an exceptionally important crop for the country.

On the plantations, farmers pick ripe red cherries, process them through washing and fermentation, and grade them to meet market demand and satisfy drinkers' varied flavor preferences. Honduras harvests three million bags of coffee a year, delivering high-quality coffee with distinctive flavors — abundant in quantity and excellent in quality. It has become the largest coffee-producing country in Central America and one of the world's top ten coffee exporters.

Freddy Leonel Castellanos Hernandez — Leonel's brother — planted a 0.5-hectare farm in 1995, but reaching the site was extremely difficult, requiring an hour's walk, and the harsh climate left the farm unproductive. In 2000 his brother decided the struggle was not worth continuing and abandoned the project.

A few months later, Leonel told him that if he were allowed to work the land and make it profitable, he could keep it. His brother agreed and handed over the inheritance. Leonel threw himself into the work, joined the estate effort, and by 2002 had already brought the farm back. From then until 2010 he sold coffee on the traditional market. The following year, with support from other producers and the exporter San Vicente, he prepared his first batch of specialty coffee. Leonel entered the Cup of Excellence competition in 2015 and has placed respectably year after year, ranking 8th this year.

This season his coffee harvest is meant to support his children: one is studying high school in San Pedro Sula, and the youngest, aged 2, was born with a foot condition and is receiving physical therapy so she can walk without difficulty.

Coffee Details

Country: Honduras

Year: 2018

City: Las Vegas

Region: Santa Barbara

Flavor Notes: Strawberry jam, lavender, chocolate, vanilla, tamarind

Acidity: Bright, complex, structured

Other Characteristics: Balanced, smooth, silky, syrupy

Processing Method: Washed

Variety: Pacas

FrontStreet Coffee recommends brewing with 89-90°C water, using a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and brewing for two minutes to reveal flavors of strawberry jam, lavender, chocolate, vanilla, and tamarind.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Gudingding Cooperative — A benchmark washed coffee and a fine way to explore what careful washing can do. Many people know Yirgacheffe without realizing that because local farmers produce in small quantities, they send their cherries to a cooperative for shared processing and sale. Gudingding is an excellent processing team from Gudingding Village with skilled experience, and the cleanliness and precision of its cup is what brought it to prominence. The washed process shows jasmine blossom and bright citrus acidity to the fullest, and a medium-light roast brings out green tea and honey tones. It suits pour-over, cold brew, and espresso alike.

FrontStreet Kenya Small Tomato — When it comes to washed coffee, Kenya is one of the most celebrated names, and this lot is a prime example thanks to Kenya's characteristic double-washing. The beans are floated, soaked, washed free of residual mucilage, soaked again, dried, and hulled; the repeated rinsing and soaking draw out juice-like intensity. Expect cherry tomato, smoked plum, snow pear, black plum, and brown sugar aromas in a sweet-tart, juicy cup.

FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 — Jamaica, one of the world's best-known coffee origins, struggles with limited sunshine, and washing was developed there to cut the risk of spoilage. Removing skin, pulp, and mucilage before drying shortens drying time and yields bright, low-defect beans. The result is a fragrant, pure cup of hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel, perfectly balanced with no single note dominating or missing.