Flavor, Mouthfeel, and Aroma Characteristics of Honduras San Juan Coffee Beans with Pronounced Sweetness

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Introduction to Honduras Coffee

Today we're sharing about Honduras from Central America. This country is mountainous and borders Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador while having coastlines between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Although there are no records about Honduras' coffee cultivation history, it's generally believed that coffee was introduced by Spanish merchants in the 18th century.

Geographical Advantages

Honduras is located in northern Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Gulf of Fonseca on the Pacific to the south. It borders Nicaragua and El Salvador to the east and south, and Guatemala to the west, consisting mainly of mountains and plateaus. With a tropical climate featuring mild temperatures and abundant rainfall, it's an ideal location for coffee cultivation.

For coffee production, Honduras' geographical conditions are no less favorable than its neighboring coffee-producing countries like Guatemala and Nicaragua. Honduras has 280,000 hectares of coffee plantations, predominantly small farms mostly under 3.5 hectares, which account for 60% of the country's total coffee production.

Coffee Growing Regions

Honduras has six main coffee-producing regions, including five adjacent areas in the west: Santa Barbara, Copan, Ocotepeque, Lempira, La Paz, and El Paraiso in the southeast. Honduran coffee typically has lower acidity with prominent caramel sweetness. Coffee from these five different regions varies slightly in flavor, with some having stronger acidity and others featuring unique aromas. While the quality is currently good, the country's coffee prices remain quite competitive as it's still building its reputation.

Honduran coffee may seem unfamiliar to many coffee drinkers.

Coffee Bean Characteristics

Honduran coffee beans are large, uniform in size, and have a consistent, glossy color. For harvesting convenience, farmers prune coffee trees to no more than 150cm tall, as taller trees require ladders for picking, which is time-consuming and may damage the trees by bending branches. Since coffee cherries ripen at different times, manual harvesting and selective picking of ripe fruits are necessary to maintain high quality. Harvesting coffee cherries from the same branch often takes several weeks to complete.

For coffee production, Honduras' geographical conditions are comparable to its neighboring coffee-producing countries like Guatemala and Nicaragua. However, due to previous lack of strong support in green bean processing and transportation, Honduras had lower recognition in consumer markets. In recent years, the country has begun actively changing this situation, with increased emphasis on the coffee industry slowly building Honduras' international reputation.

Processing Methods

High-quality Honduran coffee uses the washed processing method. Beans are first soaked, during which defective fruits float to the surface and are discarded. The good fruits are then placed in a depulping machine, where rotational force removes the fruit skin. The depulped fruits undergo machine screening to select high-quality beans. Typically, larger fruits represent better maturity. Honduran coffee is sun-dried, which always imparts a light fruity aroma to its flavor profile.

Honduras has 280,000 hectares of coffee plantations, primarily small farms under 3.5 hectares, accounting for 60% of the country's total coffee production. In mountainous growing areas, people hand-pick coffee beans and carefully process them to produce higher-quality beans. Honduras harvests three million bags of coffee annually, offering both quantity and quality, and has become one of the world's top ten coffee-exporting countries.

Coffee Varieties

The vast majority of coffee varieties grown in Honduras are Arabica, primarily including Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Typica, and Pacas derivatives.

Typica: The oldest native variety from Ethiopia, all Arabica varieties derive from Typica. Typica has bronze-colored top leaves and oval or slender, pointed beans. It offers elegant flavor but has weak constitution, poor disease resistance, and low yield.

Bourbon: A variety mutated from Typica, currently one of the closest to native varieties alongside Typica. Bourbon spread from southwestern Ethiopia to Yemen, and was brought to Bourbon Island (now Réunion) from Yemen in 1715 and 1718. Bourbon produces 20-30% more fruit than Typica.

Caturra: Originally from Brazil, it's a Bourbon variant. Caturra is a compact dwarf variety that's easier to harvest and care for. Branches and main stems grow at 45-degree angles. Leaves are rounder and quite glossy! Fruit shape resembles Bourbon but single-plant yields are higher, with later harvest periods and better wind resistance for the main stem.

Catuai: Also from Brazil. A hybrid of Mundo Novo and Caturra.

Maracatu: A hybrid of Maragogype and Caturra, producing larger bean sizes.

Grading System

Honduran coffee uses a grading system based on altitude and defect rates, with defect rate grading divided into American and European standards.

Altitude Grading:

Defect Rate Grading:

Appearance and Flavor

Honduran coffee beans are large, uniform in size, and have consistent, glossy color. Honduran coffee offers rich, full-bodied flavor that's neither astringent nor overly acidic, with high richness and aromatic intensity, giving it quite distinctive character.

Washed Processing: High-quality Honduran coffee uses the washed processing method. Beans are first soaked, during which defective fruits float to the surface and are discarded. The good fruits are then placed in a depulping machine where rotational force removes the fruit skin. The depulped fruits undergo machine screening to select high-quality beans. Typically, larger fruits represent better maturity. Honduran coffee is sun-dried, which always imparts a light fruity aroma to its flavor profile.

FrontStreet Coffee Honduras San Juan Sito Coffee Beans

Country: Honduras

Region: San Juan Sito

Estate: Finca Altos de Erapuca

Altitude: 1,300m

Variety: Catuai

Processing: Washed

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Method

Filter Cup: V60

Water Temperature: 88-89°C

Grind Size: Fuji grind setting 4

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Brewing Technique:

Bloom time: 30 seconds. Water amounts: 30-125-225g.

Brewing Analysis

San Juan Sito is roasted slightly darker. To reduce bitterness extraction, we use a coarse sugar grind size and lower water temperature to extract a full-bodied coffee liquid that fully expresses its caramel, cream, and nutty sweet aromas.

During blooming and the first pour, keep the water stream close to the coffee bed. At this stage, the coffee grounds absorb water and expand significantly, with vigorous gas release creating larger gaps between particles. If the water stream is too high, it will pass through the coffee grounds too quickly without sufficient extraction. During the second pour, the water stream height can be increased to stir the fine particles at the bottom of the filter cup, reducing clogging.

Important Notice :

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