Honduran coffee

[MSGRLLC]

Cuppers in the past have been quick to judge Honduran coffee as less valuable and poorer quality than other Central American coffees, including Guatemalan and Costa Rican. This, I must say, has been the mistake of cuppers worldwide. In the past few years alone, Honduras and its coffee farmers have gone to great lengths to reach the "par" level of coffee production that say, Colombia, has acheived. Today Honduran coffee is as good as or better than other Central American coffees. which has in turn made it a diamond in the rough.
Anybody interested in cupping some delicious, shade-grown, bird-friendly, estate-grown Honduran coffee should please contact me for more details. Our finca prides itself on not only the best coffee and equipment for processing, but also aiding in the economic and social development of the Honduran people.
Please call Jeff at 303-868-4454 or email [email protected] for more information or if you are interested in the best Central American coffee available today.

 

[mcohveca]

I would like to sample this Honduran that you talk about. Where can I find a sample?
Thanks,
Alex

 

[Dota Coffee]

Jeff, hi!

i just joined this forum and saw your write up from 2005.
how is the business going?

even though i am firm believer that no country has the exclusive in
coffee quality, i have a hard time believing that coffee from Honduras could ever be as good as a good guatemalan or costa rican.

i am pretty sure that you and your colleagues from honduras have
made a big effort to produce high end, arabica beans. The only problem
i see is that as long as honduras produces Robusta beans, then
customers can never be sure what you are drinking.

Robusta beans are bad quality, they add caffeine to the equation,
they don't have enough aroma or taste and the bean is meant to
grow at low altitudes which means that they are not meant to be good coffee.

The beauty of being a producer in the age of the internet is that allows you to market your coffee directly to the consumer, and the good deal for the consumer is to be able to find 100% pure, single origin coffee at good prices. but if what the consumer gets has the same low-cost fillers that roasters use in the state to stretch out the good beans, then there is no point in the transaction.

I don;t know, i hope i don't sound like a hard ass but i think one must be careful when claiming that Honduras coffee is the best in Central America, specially now that Panama is also making a big effort and is producing great quality.

 

[Nodezone]

Interesting post and thread. In addition to my passion for coffee, I possess unbridled enthusiasm for hand-crafted cigars. I have personnaly witness the quality and strength of Honduran tobacco grow tremendously since the mid-90's.

Back then, you could immediately tell if the cigar has been rolled with some or all Honduran leaf because it had a decidely malty taste to it. (Zino and some other brands come to mind) With that ten year history in tobacco, I'm willing to see how far Honduras has come in the coffee field.

Matias is right though. If we're looking at Robusta beans mainly, no need to go on to Step #2. Aribica is "Where It's At"!

 

[Dota Coffee]

tobacco is a whole different story

totally agree with nodezone. honduran tobacco is great, as a matter of fact, my partner in the coffee farm, Antonio, has a cigar factory here in Costa Rica (soleares) and i know Honduran is an active part on his blend.

He hands rolled his cigars and has hired a reliable group of rollers from cuba and nicaragua. literally the best of all worlds.

i will forward this text to him, you two should be friends.

Matias

 

[Tough_Duck]

Honduras...is it just me?

I''m a cupper at a mid sized roaster. We do about 8 million pounds a year. I''m butting heads a tiny bit with my boss. We''ve purchased two contracts of Honduras coffee to be homoginized in our \"centrals\" silos. My problem is I taste a clear and distinct \"baggy\" or \"dirty\" taste. I can taste it in cupping and I can taste it in the cup from a pour over. My boss dosen''t see it. Is he blinded by the price, or do I just have a natural aversion to Honduras? I''ve seen this before in Honduras, I used to call it \"grassy\".
My question I guess is...
Has anybody else seen this off taste in Honduran coffee? Could they really be using a percentage of washed robusta? Why wash robusta? All these questions.... I need a donut.

 

[CafeBlue]

taste flaws and taints

The taints or flaws you describe are not typical of Honduran coffees, but are common coffee flaws. Lower grade coffees tend to exhibit more flaws more often. Lower grade and the less dense coffees grown at lower elevations also tend to age and deteriorate faster than shb beans.
"Baggy" taste taint arises from storage or aging issues - the green coffee absorbs the taste of the burlap sack (bag).
"Grassy" usually refers to the grassy or vegetation type of taste that occassionally shows up in early crop coffee that did not "rest" in parchment stage, or that did not dry properly.
"Dirty" can be caused by actual dirt, aging, broca damage, or green coffee sun-drying on dirt.
The "Coffee Cupper's Handbook" from the SCAA offers a large and well defined taster's glossary.
Your boss may be tolerant of flaws due to pricing or other factors. He/she may be less sensitive to the taint (or more forgiving) than you are.

 

[Tough_Duck]

I just find it interesting about Honduras coffee. I've never been there, and I have no malice towards them. I've just never had a good cup of coffee from that country. The coffee is being sold in the class of a high grown central, but at best I compare it to a natural or washed milds. The green looks great, 17/18 screen, 11% moisture, and a normal amount of defects. It roasts up evenly and for all intents and purposes should be great. I've tasted new crop and it's not that. My terminology may be off from the SCAA as I don't talk to other roasters much and I find common terminology to be too subjective. I'm sorry that I'm being hard on Honduras, I guess it's me. I just wanted to see if others feel the same as I do. Also, we buy full chops at a time so I have a feeling we aren't buying the best Honduras has to offer. It's not economically feasible for larger roasters to buy the cream of the crop I guess. I'll check in from time to time to see what others say.
Thanks!

 

[CafeBlue]

Honduras is a relatively poor nation, so you may be receiving coffee prepared under less than ideal conditions in comparison to top flight standards. The equipment may not be maintained as cleanly as the washing stations in say Costa Rica Tarrazu region. Or for example, you may be buying coffee that is dried on dirt versus tile or concrete patios.

Some very well-prepared coffees are available from Honduras, but a lot of commercial roasters and importers are buying the Hondos for a discount - not expecting as nice a cup as say a Guate SHB. Your mention of blending in the "Centrals silo" is an indication that the quality specified is "neutral blend component" similar to PW, XPW or HB, HG average commodity standards. Such coffees are not usually priced like specialty grades, nor prepared to specialty standards. They also usually fade faster in storage. Buying full container lots is not generally a barrier to purchasing top quality coffee.

Common terminology is useful for discussions like this, but necessary for discussions with your suppliers. If you have conversations with your green importer/broker and the exporter/mill/estate/cooperative, then you will find that the quality and taste characteristics you seek are more readily deliverable. It is also vitally important that you (and every roaster) cup your and their coffee with your vendors frequently - you will better maintain common language and observations about the coffees. Your vendors may even decide that you are more committed to quality in the cup and begin to offer better green to you.

Perhaps this lengthy response more suitably addresses your issue?

 

[asm223]

Looking for coffee from Honduras called Passion

I was in Honduras and found this coffee before getting back on the ship and bought a pound called Passion it is in a black back. Does anyone know where I can order it from? Or anything like it as I just love this mild to medium roast thanks
Tony

 

[eldub]

We have an organic Honduran Marcala decaf that is showing well, roasted to 420*. Its a mild bean with a pleasant chocolate character.