Dear coffee subscriber,
The fresh crop coffees from Marysabel Caballero and Moises Herrera have arrived and I am super happy to be able to share these coffees with you. It has been a while since we had such a good Pacamara coffee from Marysabel and Moises, but this year we got plenty of it and it is tasting really good. Their production of the Kenyan Batian cultivar is also increasing and the quality is getting better every year, so it seems like this is a coffee that we will be getting more of in the future too.
Personally I love tasting different cultivars from the same farm or producer. Since all these coffees are processed in the same way, you will be able to taste the differences in flavour that each of these cultivars have to offer when grown in this area in Honduras.
I hope you will enjoy the coffees.
Caballero Catuaí (1st and 4th bag)
Flavour notes: Herbal, dark chocolate & dried fruits
Producer: Marysabel Caballero & Moises Herrera
Harvest: February 2023
Origin: Chinacla, La Paz, Honduras
Process: Washed
Cultivar: Catuaí
Marysabel and Moises produce a lot of the Catuaí cultivar, but not all lots are produced the same way. Some are dried on patios and others in mechanical driers or on raised beds under shade. Over the years I have developed a protocol in cooperation with Moises and Marysabel on how to separate, process and especially dry and store the coffees. In the last 5-6 years they have been producing a lot of Catuaí coffees especially for us to choose from.
All the lots we buy are dried on raised beds in shade and are hand sorted and milled with extreme care and attention. It really makes a difference in the final cup. In fact Moises was the one who let me experiment with shade dried coffee in the first place and we found that the green coffee will stay fresh for a longer time and taste much cleaner than the patio or mechanically dried coffees they produce.
Caballero Batian (2nd & 5th bag)
Flavour notes: Milk chocolate, floral & red fruits
Producer: Marysabel Caballero & Moises Herrera
Harvest: February 2023
Origin: Chinacla, la Paz, Honduras
Process: Washed
Cultivar: Batian
Batian is actually a Kenyan hybrid cultivar but this particular coffee was grown in Honduras by our friends Marysabel Caballero and Moises Herrera. Some years ago they planted a small amount of these trees and we are fortunate to be able to buy their entire production of this cultivar.
This is the fifth year we are able to offer this coffee and I am happy to say that we were able to buy a bigger quantity than previous years. In fact Moises and Marysabel are so happy with the Batian, both with yield and quality, that they have decided to plant more of it. This year the Batian tastes a bit different than it has in previous years showing notes of violets & florals with juicy fruit notes and a sweet milk chocolate like finish.
Caballero Pacamara (3rd or 6th bag)
Flavour notes: Intense, winey, blackberries & blackcurrants
Producer: Marysabel Caballero & Moises Herrera
Harvest: February 2023
Origin: Chinacla, la Paz, Honduras
Process: Washed
Cultivar: Pacamara
In 2018 we won the Pacamara category in the Nordic Roaster Competition with the Pacamara coffee from the Caballeros and it helped us win the overall competition. I believe it was because of the exceptional sweetness that this coffee displays along with the interesting Pacamara flavours that helped us win. Unfortunately this cultivar can be a bit inconsistent both in quality and production yield from year to year and I have to admit that the quality we had in 2018 has been a distant memory up until this year.
Unlike last years harvest which was very subtle in flavours, this years Pacamara from Marysabel and Moises is for sure the best we have ever tasted from them. The coffee has intense and distinct red and tropical fruit flavours and a winey acidity. No wonder it is Marysabel’s favourite cultivar as the flavours can be really complex, yet Moises is not the biggest fan, mainly due to the inconsistent mood of the plants from year to year. When coffees are this good, I personally don’t mind that the quality can be a bit up and down from year to year. After all it is a good reminder that coffee is a product of nature.