About This Coffee
This coffee comes from the imposing Santa Barbara Mountain, a mountainous massif of more than 121.3 square kilometers of surface and a maximum height of 2,750 meters above sea level. The mountain is predominately a reserve of virgin forest declared a national park in 1987. Farms are located on the mountain at an altitude range of 1,000 to 1,650 meters above sea level.
These farms belong to a group of independent producers who are clients of Exportadora San Vicente. Their relationships with Exportadora San Vicente span more than 25 years. About 70% are small producers with production areas of 4.4 hectares on average.
Our producing partners are dedicated to upholding their coffee-producing traditions, instilled by their parents and grandparents. Most producers are 3rd or even 4th generation coffee producers.
Cultivation
The majority of the farms are relatively young, with an average age of 5 to 10 years. This youth is due to the fact that enormous plant renovation had to occur in the wake of an intense attack of coffee leaf rust (CLR) in 2011 that killed most coffee trees in the region and in much of the rest of the country.
The subsequent renovations were carried out with a focus on coffee varieties resistant to rust. Now the predominant varieties on producing farms are: Ihcafe 90, Lempira, Pacas and Catuai, and in a lower percentage, varieties such as Parainema, San Ramon and Bourbon.
Between the national park and the lake, more than 50% of the country's bird species, 90 types of orchids, 70 species of ferns and a great diversity of wild animals live in the region. In addition, the Santa Barbara Mountain provides water to more than 80 communities.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Most coffee is processed in the traditional way on family farms. Ripe, red cherry is selectively handpicked by farm owners and seasonal laborers. Cherry is inspected and pulped the same day it is harvest. Once pulped, parchment and remaining mucilage is typically placed on concrete patios to ferment for 10 to 16 hours. Some producers may ferment coffee in buckets or bags. Parchment is then washed in clean water and brought to Exportadora San Vicente collection centers. At the centers, parchment is dried in Guardiola mechanical driers.
SHG
Strictly High Grown (SHG) specifies the altitude at which the coffee was grown. A coffee must be grown at 1,200 meters above sea level or higher to be considered SHG. The higher altitude and lower temperatures mean that the coffee fruit matures more slowly, creating a denser bean.
European Preparation (EP)
EP stands for European Preparation. EP beans are Screen 15+ with a low defect tolerance.
Coffee in Honduras
Honduras is a small yet mighty coffee producer. The country boasts the largest per capita coffee production in the world. Beginning in 2017, Honduras began placing in third place for Arabica production volume globally. For this slot, they compete with Ethiopia—a country 10 times larger than Honduras. The two countries trade between third and fourth place annually, but the achievement is impressive, nonetheless.
Honduras has everything it needs to become a premier specialty coffee producer. The country has the right growing conditions, abundant fertile soils and soaring altitudes (nearly all farms are at more than 1,000 meters above sea level), plus a variety of microclimates.
Beginning in the early 2000s the industry began to focus on quality. Improved infrastructure (better mechanical dryers, centralized wet mills, an increasing number of solar dryers), quality control/assurance trainings (separating lots by qualities, cupping schools, etc.), the rise of specialty-focused exporters, increased volumes of certified coffees and the strengthening cooperative movement all have worked in tandem to make Honduran coffee ‘one to watch’.
It is only in more recent years that coffee production in Honduras has reached specialty levels comparable to other Central American countries, but specialty roasters are responding with enthusiasm. In 2017, a lot in the Cup of Excellence garnered the highest price ever paid for a Cup of Excellence coffee in any country: $124.50 per pound (approximately $56.50 per kg).
Above all, while Honduras increasingly offers high end microlots, what the country arguably represents overall is exceptional value. Quality has improved massively over the last 15 years, and in addition to unique specialty lots, the country offers very solid, clean blenders at very attractive prices.