Everything about our new spring products
We're welcoming spring with two new limited-edition coffee batches! And with spring comes change; so this is the perfect opportunity to get to know our new arrivals and try them at home for a unique coffee experience.
Honduras Finca Las Flores
Smooth, fruity, and tangy, this coffee comes from Finca las Flores. With its notes of chocolate, cherry, raspberry, and rose, it reveals a very expressive profile. Its story begins in the lush lands of Marcala, Honduras, beneath the protective trees that stretch across 5 hectares. Roger Antonio Domínguez Márquez owns several farms in La Paz, situated at a good altitude for the region, 1,500 meters above sea level (MASL), and inherited them from his father, who had owned them since the early 1990s.
After harvesting the coffee cherries at full maturity, he cultivates small quantities and naturally processes these Bourbon, Catuai, and Caturra coffees on-site. Drying is a particularly challenging part of the processing chain that has limited Honduras' breakthrough as a true source of specialty coffees. Due to the climate, many producers are increasingly turning to fully mechanical drying, which certainly speeds up the drying process but can contribute to overall instability in the moisture content and water activity of batches, potentially leading to quality issues over time.
Specialty coffee in Honduras
Although it doesn't enjoy the same illustrious reputation as other Central American coffee-producing countries like Costa Rica or Guatemala, Honduras has gradually become the largest producer, exporting more volume than any other country in the region, and seventh overall in the world in terms of exports. Despite this large quantity of coffee from Honduras, it can be difficult to find quality coffee there, as the country lacks the infrastructure to support the more niche specialty market enjoyed by its neighbors.
The importance of quality competitions and high-level auctions, such as the Cup of Excellence, has inspired larger, wealthier producers to plant new varieties, experiment with new processes, and improve their techniques and infrastructure. Increased research and extension services from IHCAFE have also contributed to greater awareness of the specialty coffee market among Honduran producers, and there is continued potential as media and buyer attention on the country grows.
Brazil Fazenda Santa Ines
Brazilian coffee has a bad reputation, often prioritizing quantity over quality. However, behind these industrial farms are passionate producers who will amaze you with their exceptional specialty coffees. This is the case with our new batch from Fazenda Santa Ines, which stands out for its smooth and sweet profile, typical of the best Brazilian coffees, with notes of cocoa, lemon, and almonds.
Coffee cultivation in the Carmo de Minas region has been the Pereira family's domain since 1979. When the family began managing the 215 hectares of farmland at Fazenda Santa Ines, they planted new coffee varieties such as Catucai, Catuai, Bourbon, and Acaia. They also updated their harvesting and processing techniques to improve quality and productivity and hired experts to enhance the quality of their product. Since these changes, Santa Ines coffees have distinguished themselves in regional and national competitions: in 2005, a Fazenda Santa Ines sample won first place in the Brazilian Cup of Excellence, with a world record score of 95.85. The coffee beans are hand-picked and then dried on raised African beds. Drying can take 20 to 25 days, depending on the weather.
Specialty coffee in Brazil
Long before we knew the term "single origin ," most of us were probably drinking a blend that included Brazilian coffee. For many of us, the country's profile shaped our very idea of what coffee tastes like, with its nutty, chocolatey notes and full-bodied character. Unique on many levels, Brazil's coffee history reveals both the possibilities and the pitfalls of cultivating this beloved crop. A look at the coffee industry in this country is a journey into the chapter of coffee history that propelled it into so many homes around the world.
For 150 years, Brazil dominated the global coffee market, at times producing the majority of the world's supply. By the time coffee leaf rust decimated Indonesian coffee markets in the early 20th century, Brazil was poised to monopolize the entire market, and by the 1920s, it had; Brazilian production accounted for over 80% of the world's coffee. Even today, a third of the world's coffee is grown in Brazil. In 2010, this amounted to nearly three million tons of coffee. Approximately 10,000 square miles—roughly the size of Massachusetts—are cultivated with coffee, and 3.5 million people earn their living somewhere in the supply chain.
When the specialty coffee market expanded in North America and many enthusiasts embraced coffee shops as a new social space, Brazilian businesses quickly jumped on the bandwagon. Seeking superior quality, roasters and café owners began purchasing coffee directly from producers, creating a new type of market in Brazil. There is a widespread belief that coffee production in Brazil is highly industrialized and focused on volume rather than quality. Yet, nearly 73% of Brazilian coffee is harvested manually or partially with the aid of machines.
Brazil boasts a diverse array of small coffee producers who have innovated and made tremendous efforts to remain sustainable and competitive. The growth of specialty coffee in Brazil may be underestimated when comparing the figures for commodity and premium coffee beans. However, it has been crucial for hundreds of coffee producers. Indeed, over the past few decades, specialty coffee has prevented small producers from going out of business due to market fluctuations that made it difficult to maintain their production. In short, specialty coffee remains a promising market in Brazil for years to come.
