Honduras Lychee Lan Coffee Bean Flavor and Characteristics Introduction of Wine Barrel Fermented Lychee Lan Coffee

Today FrontStreet Coffee is sharing the roasting profile for its Honduras coffee beans. This batch of FrontStreet Coffee's Honduras beans has a distinct creamy aroma. To showcase their unique character, FrontStreet Coffee began by understanding the coffee's origin, variety, and processing method, then studied how best to roast and brew it.

Honduras Finca Mocha Lychee Lan

FrontStreet Coffee: Honduras Finca Mocha Lychee Lan

Country: Honduras
Origin: Marcala
Estate: Finca Mocha
Altitude: 1500-1700m
Varieties: Caturra, Catuai
Processing Method: Fine Washed + Brandy Barrel Fermentation

Finca Mocha is located in the Marcala region of Honduras, where coffee grows at an average altitude of 1500 meters - an excellent environment for cultivation. The flavor foundation of FrontStreet Coffee's Lychee Lan comes from its Caturra and Catuai varieties. Caturra is a natural Bourbon mutation, offering higher yields while preserving Bourbon's flavor profile. Catuai is a man-made hybrid of Caturra and Mundo Novo, known for strong disease resistance. Both varieties are common across the coffee-producing countries of the Americas, combining the excellent Bourbon flavor profile with higher yields.

Beyond the varieties, the most distinctive feature of FrontStreet Coffee's Lychee Lan comes from its brandy barrel fermentation. After harvest, the cherries immediately undergo fine washing to remove skin and pulp, then the beans are placed in barrels for low-temperature fermentation, controlled between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius for 30 to 40 days. The fermented beans are then sun-dried to a moisture content of about 11%. This method gives Lychee Lan its unique barrel-aged foundation, as the fine washed, brandy barrel-fermented green beans absorb the flavors of the barrel.

The beans processed through brandy barrel fermentation carry a gentle lychee and honey sweetness, along with the rich aroma of brandy and the fragrance of oak.

FrontStreet Coffee Lychee Lan Roasting Profile & Cupping Results

When roasting this batch of Lychee Lan, FrontStreet Coffee charges at 220 degrees Celsius with the air damper at 4 and heat at 200. The turning point occurs around 1 minute 30 seconds; when the drum temperature reaches 140 degrees Celsius, the damper opens to 6. At 151 degrees Celsius, heat drops to 120, and at 176 degrees Celsius, to 80. Around 8 minutes 28 seconds, pronounced wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface and the toasted bread aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma - the prelude to first crack. At 9 minutes 15 seconds, first crack begins and the damper is adjusted to 8 (heat adjustments must be very careful here, never so small as to eliminate the crackling). After first crack, the roast develops for 2 minutes 10 seconds, finally dropping at 195 degrees.

FrontStreet Coffee cups the coffee 24 hours after roasting. The immersion cupping method helps us understand a coffee bean better, so cupping is used both to adjust roasting profiles and for in-store quality control. When cupping Lychee Lan, we clearly perceive liqueur chocolate, cream, honey, and refreshing fruit acidity through slurping, reminiscent of lychee.

Flavor: Cream, dark chocolate, honey, lychee, brandy. The mouthfeel is relatively full-bodied with noticeable sweetness. As the temperature changes, the boozy note becomes prominent through slurping.

Pour-Over Reference

Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 90℃
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-fine (EK43s setting 9.5: 80% pass-through on China standard #20 sieve)

Brewing Method: Segmented extraction. Use 30g of water for a 40-second bloom (extended slightly because the beans are relatively fresh with vigorous gas release). With a small flow, pour in circles to 124g, then pause. When the water level drops and the coffee bed is about to be exposed, pour to 228g and stop. Wait for the level to drop and just expose the bed, then remove the dripper (timing starts from the bloom). Extraction time is 2'00".

FrontStreet Coffee Lychee Lan Pour-Over Flavor Description: The first sip reveals lychee, brandy, dark chocolate, and cream. As the temperature shifts, the boozy and dark chocolate notes come forward, with a full-bodied mouthfeel and a noticeably sweet aftertaste.

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation: More Barrel-Fermented and Washed Wonders

If Lychee Lan's boozy, barrel-aged sweetness appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's washed lineup offers a fascinating contrast. The washed Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Guodingding comes from a seasoned cooperative team in Guodingding village, and its water-driven process showcases jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity at their purest - after medium-light roasting, green tea and honey tones emerge, suiting pour-over, cold brew, and espresso alike. Meanwhile, the Kenya Cherry Tomato demonstrates double washed fermentation at its finest: repeated washing and soaking coax out a vibrant, juicy cup of cherry tomato, dried dark plum, snow pear, black plum, and yellow sugar - sweet, tart, and clean. Where barrel fermentation wraps fruit in warmth, these washed coffees strip everything back to the bean's own luminous character - two sides of modern specialty processing well worth tasting side by side.