Please note, that organic coffees are roasted on Wednesday.
Honduras has become a bigger origin for us over the last few years. Big-bodied coffees that are chocolatey and nutty are so popular.
Building supply chains has become challenging, as commitments come at a high price for producers. I am excited to say that we may have found the Mayorga Family, who are producing some great coffees. Hopefully, we can work with these guys for years to come. Long-term relationships are the bedrock of what this business is all about.
Country: Honduras
Co-op: Cafesmo
Farm: Los Naranjos (The Orange Tree)
Owners: The Mayorga Family
Region; Mercedes Hills, southern Honduras (close to El Salvador and Guatemalan borders)
Process: Fully washed
Farm Size 9 Hectares
Altitude: 1.300 – 1.550 mts
Varieties: Red Catuai and IH-Café 90
Harvest: December 2025 – March 2026
Roast: Espresso Roast
We have finally found a single farm in Honduras producing the volume and quality of organic coffee that we need. Sebastian kindly dropped in on the Mayorga family to quiz them about their history and personal story for us. You can read the results here. I have bought a lot of coffee from Honduras, but haven’t visited yet.
Cafesmo was formalised in 2016 and has rapidly grown. The membership of producers has grown, as well as the variety of processing methods and varietals. Cafesmo is based in a large zone around the hills of Mercedes, located in the very south of Honduras, a stone’s throw from El Salvador and Guatemala. What can I say but great coffee neighbours? “Our plantations are protected by some of the country’s highest peaks”. You may have seen that we have bought coffee from the (very youthful) president Hidardo and his mother at their family plantation.
Honduran coffee has remained relatively expensive this year. Producers are still taxed by the system, with national banks charging approximately 15% interest on short-term loans against the harvest, if you can get one.
Rains came out of season and slowed the harvest (not unlike Brazil this year). The cup quality is still very good and serves us perfectly.
I have broken a few rules and brewed this in under 7 days from roast, so the espresso will be better than below.
Brew Recipe: 18g of Coffee into 36g of espresso liquid in approximately 27-32 seconds, depending on your brewing set-up. Otherwise, just read as 1:2 for milk-based drinks.
9 oz milk-based drink. This is (probably) the nicest I have had in a while—balanced chocolate, nuts and just so cosy.
6 oz milk-based drink. More cocoa than the 9oz, but super smooth and delicious.
Espresso Recipe.
If you have bought or tried our coffees before, you may be aware that I am a fan of slightly longer shots for drinks that are not for milk. To me, they are more balanced and generally sweeter.
If you want a more juicy espresso, I recommend a lower dose and longer (in terms of liquid) shots; even juicier brews can be made by lowering your brew temperature, if you have that option with your machine. I find myself hunting for acidity when you could well make the same coffee taste completely different by increasing the dose and brew temperature, to have a very different outcome.
I have been brewing this 17g of ground coffee into 45g of espresso in 30-35 seconds. Brew Temp: 94C
These are suggestions, not rules.
Always taste it, as there is/ was a fashion in turbo brews!
White currants, white sugars, citrus and cocoa.
