Bold & Chocolaty
"Located in the western part of Honduras, Pacavita is surrounded by biological reserves and mountain ranges. The rainy season results in beautiful cherries, and the clear dry season during harvest allows producers to sun dry coffees once they are washed. The high-altitude weather, rich clay soil, and warm sun ensure that the integrity and quality of the beans is preserved from start to finish. Two primary producers contributed to this lot, Silvestre Vasquez and Joel Lopez. Silvestre is always pushing for a better quality and has expanded his farm into higher altitudes of a mountain called Pico Congolon which is surrounded by the Reserva Biologica de Opalaca and Reserva Biologica Volcan Pacavita. Joel Lopez is a fourth-generation coffee producer. He runs the farm Los Lesquines, where his family began growing coffee in 1865. The farm produces mainly Bourbon, Caturra and Catuai varieties, with a total of 67 hectares in production.
Origin Report
Honduras is a small Central American country with its share of problems. The World Bank estimates that in rural areas 20% of Hondurans earn less than $1.90 per day. Country-wide, roads are sub-optimal; many coffee farms in Honduras are accessible only via dirt roads that snake up along mountainsides. Despite these factors, entrepreneurial producers are working toward higher quality, experimenting with new processing techniques and growing high-profile varietals. The objective: kick down the door of the specialty coffee market, build a reputation as a specialty coffee origin and earn the money that comes with it."