Litchi Orchid Coffee Bean Brandy Barrel Flavor Characteristics Honduras Mocha Coffee Estate Story

When FrontStreet Coffee mentions coffee beans from the Honduras region, the first thing that comes to mind is FrontStreet Coffee's top-selling Honduras Sherry coffee beans, whose rich whiskey aroma makes it unforgettable after just one taste. Besides the whiskey barrel-fermented FrontStreet Coffee Sherry beans, there's another variety from Honduras fermented in brandy barrels—FrontStreet Coffee Lychee Orchid coffee beans. This article will explore what makes this brandy barrel-fermented FrontStreet Coffee Lychee Orchid coffee bean so special.

FrontStreet Coffee: Honduras · Marcala Estate · Lychee Orchid

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai
Altitude: 1500-1700m
Region: Intibucá Province, Masaguara Town
Processing: Fine Washed + Brandy Barrel Fermentation

Coffee Growing Region

Honduras is located in northern Central America, bordering Nicaragua and El Salvador to the east and south, and Guatemala to the west. The terrain consists mostly of mountains and plateaus at approximately 1,500 meters above sea level, with a tropical climate and average temperatures between 16-20°C. Abundant rainfall provides ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. Honduran coffee growing is primarily based on small family operations, with 70% of small farms being less than 2 hectares in size. Coffee varieties grown in Honduras include Bourbon, Caturra, Typica, Catuai, and Pacas. The wet processing method is commonly used for coffee beans.

Marcala Estate

This FrontStreet Coffee Lychee Orchid coffee bean from Honduras comes from the Marcala Estate in Masaguara. Masaguara is a municipality located in the Intibucá department of Honduras, situated south of the Jesús de Otoro valley. The average elevation in this region is only 853 meters, with highland areas reaching 1,500 meters. Marcala Estate is just one of the small estates in the highland areas of Masaguara.

Brandy Barrel Fermentation Processing

First, freshly harvested coffee cherries undergo fine washing, then they are placed in brandy oak barrels for low-temperature fermentation for 30-40 days (at approximately 15-20°C), allowing the green coffee beans to absorb the barrel's flavors. Finally, they are shade-dried. Coffee beans processed through brandy barrel fermentation have delicate lychee and honey sweetness, while also incorporating the brandy aroma and oak barrel fragrance.

Coffee Varieties

Caturra is a natural variant of the Arabica Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its tree structure is shorter than Bourbon, making it more compact. Although it inherits Bourbon's lineage, making it relatively weak against diseases, its yield is higher than Bourbon. Despite being discovered in Brazil, Caturra is not well-suited for growing there, so it wasn't cultivated on a large scale in Brazil. Instead, it became widely popular in Central and South American countries, with large-scale cultivation in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

Catuai is a coffee variety that is an artificial hybrid between Caturra and Mundo Novo. Catuai has good resistance to natural disasters, particularly wind and rain. The Catuai tree is relatively short, and compared to other coffee trees, Catuai fruits grow more firmly and are not easy to harvest. The fruits come in both red and yellow varieties. To date, no superior taste has been found in yellow fruits compared to red ones. In fact, some cupping tests have revealed that while coffee processed from some yellow fruits has good acidity, the cleanliness of the coffee's flavor profile is inferior to that of red fruits.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendation

To better highlight the flavors of this FrontStreet Coffee Lychee Orchid coffee bean and ensure a balanced overall performance, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters chose a cinnamon roast. Bean entry temperature: 220°C, yellowing point: 5'50" at 152.6°C, first crack: 9'15" at 183°C, development after first crack: 2'10", discharged at 195°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendation:

Dripper: V60
Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Coffee Amount: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Fine sugar size (80% passes through #20 sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Method:

First pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour 95g more (scale shows around 125g total), completing the pour in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed, pour the remaining 100g (scale shows around 225g total), completing in about 1 minute 35 seconds. The drip finishes at 2'04", remove the dripper, and complete extraction.

[FrontStreet Coffee Honduras Lychee Orchid] Brewing Flavor: Initial notes of lychee and brandy, with creaminess. As the temperature changes, the brandy flavor and dark chocolate become prominent, with a rich mouthfeel and a distinct honey sweetness in the aftertaste.

Important Notice :

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