Honduras Coffee Beans Flavor and Taste Characteristics: Introduction to Sherry Coffee Bean Barrel Processing

The Rise of "Morning Coffee, Evening Alcohol" Lifestyle

China's beverage market is growing ever larger, with the trend of drinking only coffee or only alcohol gradually giving way to the "Morning Coffee, Evening Alcohol" lifestyle. Some people who want to stay clear-headed in the morning still find themselves drawn to the aroma of spirits. For them, coffee beans with spirit-like aromas are perfect. Many customers visit FrontStreet Coffee's shops to order pour-over coffee made from Honduras Sherry coffee beans, remarking on the distinctive spirit aroma and wanting to know more about these beans. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce you to Honduras coffee beans.

Honduras

Honduras is located in northern Central America, bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean's Gulf of Fonseca to the south. It shares borders with Nicaragua and El Salvador to the east and south, and Guatemala to the west, with predominantly mountainous and highland terrain. The country enjoys a tropical climate with mild temperatures and abundant rainfall, making it an ideal location for coffee cultivation.

Honduras produces two types of exceptionally high-quality coffee that are highly esteemed by coffee enthusiasts. One is "Highland Coffee" grown at elevations between 1,000-1,500 meters, and the other is "Selected Highland Coffee" grown at 1,500-2,000 meters, representing Honduras' highest grade.

Today, Honduras is the largest coffee-producing country in Central America. Honduras' growing regions are roughly divided into six: Copán, Montecillos, Agalta, Opalaca, Comayagua, and El Paraíso.

Copán Region

This region is located in western Honduras, bordering Guatemala. The average elevation ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 meters, with high humidity and significant temperature variations, with minimum temperatures reaching 11.5°C.

Montecillos Region

The growing areas in the Montecillos region have an average elevation between 1,200 and 1,600 meters, with cooler night temperatures that are ideal for the slow maturation of coffee cherries, resulting in sweeter final products. Coffee from this region features citrus, peach, and apricot fruit notes, caramel-like sweetness, and a smooth mouthfeel.

Agalta Region

The Agalta region is located in southeastern Honduras, where the climate is more typically tropical, with growing elevations between 1,100 and 1,400 meters. Coffee from the Agalta region has tropical fruit and chocolate flavors, with low acidity and caramel sweetness.

Opalaca Region

The Opalaca region borders the Copán region. Common coffee varieties in this region include Bourbon, Catuai, and Typica. Growing elevations range from 1,100 to 1,500 meters. Coffee from the Opalaca region has more complex layers, more refined acidity, and a more balanced aftertaste.

Comayagua Region

Comayagua is located in central Honduras. In 2016, this region had the highest coffee production in Honduras. Coffee from the Comayagua region features citrus acidity and a creamy mouthfeel.

El Paraíso Region

The El Paraíso region is located in southern Honduras, bordering Nicaragua. Growing elevations range from 1,000 to 1,400 meters, with higher temperatures between 16°C and 22.5°C. El Paraíso is Honduras' largest and oldest coffee-growing region.

Coffee Varieties

FrontStreet Coffee's bean menu features two Honduras coffees: Sherry and Lychee Orchid. Among them, Lychee Orchid is of the Caturra and Catuai varieties, while Sherry is Caturra, Catuai, and Pacas.

Caturra

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon, discovered between 1915 and 1918 on a plantation in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Caturra coffee plants are smaller, allowing for higher planting density. The Caturra variety was introduced to Guatemala in the 1940s and later spread from Guatemala to Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama.

Catuai

Catuai is a hybrid coffee variety developed by the São Paulo State Agricultural Research Institute in Brazil, crossing Mundo Novo and Caturra. Catuai plants are more compact, allowing for denser planting, but they are susceptible to pests and diseases.

Pacas

The Pacas variety was discovered in 1949 on a farm owned by the Pacas family in the Santa Ana region of El Salvador. In 1960, the Salvadoran Coffee Research Institute (ISIC) began a pedigree selection program for Pacas (selecting individual plants through successive generations). Honduras' IHCAFE introduced and began cultivating the Pacas variety in 1974. Pacas is also a natural mutation of Bourbon, similar to Caturra with relatively small coffee plants, but the Pacas variety offers higher yields and excellent quality.

Processing Methods

High-quality Honduras coffee typically uses the washed method to process coffee beans. This generally begins with soaking, during which defective fruits float to the surface and can be removed and discarded. The good fruits are then placed in a pulping machine, where the machine's rotational force removes the fruit skin. The pulped fruits are then mechanically sorted to select the highest quality beans. Typically, larger fruits represent better maturity.

FrontStreet Coffee's Honduras Sherry coffee beans, after undergoing the washed process, are placed in spirit barrels for fermentation. Sherry belongs to whiskey barrel fermented coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee's Honduras Sherry

Region: Finca Masaquara, Honduras
Elevation: 1500m-1700m
Processing Method: Fine Washed + Whiskey Barrel Fermentation
Varieties: Caturra, Catuai, Pacas

FrontStreet Coffee's Sherry undergoes washed processing and is then placed in Sherry whiskey barrels for low-temperature (15°C to 20°C) fermentation for 30-40 days, followed by drying in shaded areas. Sun drying is not chosen because, after sun exposure, the spirit aroma breaks down with rising temperatures, potentially producing more fermentation acids.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameters

Filter: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 90°C
Coffee Dose: 15 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: EK 43s #10 (80% pass-through rate on standard #20 sieve)

Brewing Technique

When brewing Honduras Sherry, FrontStreet Coffee uses a three-stage pour method. First, pour 30 grams of water to fully saturate the coffee grounds and bloom for 30 seconds. Then, using a small circular stream, pour to 125 grams and stop pouring. Wait until the water level in the filter drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, then continue pouring in a circular motion to 225 grams and stop. Remove the filter once all water has dripped into the serving pot (timing starts from the bloom), with a total extraction time of 2'00".

Honduras coffee has a rich, full-bodied flavor with no bitterness or excessive acidity, offering high body and aromatic intensity, making it quite distinctive. FrontStreet Coffee's Honduras Sherry exemplifies this: it enters with cream-like smoothness, accompanied by whiskey and vanilla aromas, berry-like acidity, and finishes with black chocolate and honey notes.

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473