Honduras La Manzanita

A second-generation coffee farmer, Edgardo Tinoco grew up thinking of coffee as a simple practicality. That outlook changed in 2008, when one of his freshly harvested lots was flagged as a standout by our export partner, who awarded a premium for the cup’s quality. He began separating out microlots, and his processes and outcomes have steadily improved ever since: now a two-time Honduras Cup of Excellence champion, Edgardo is a testament to the benefits of hard work and dedication.

We’ve long loved Santa Bárbara coffees for their fruit-forward flavor profile, a pleasantly jarring experience compared to the mild, milk-chocolatey taste of most Central American offerings. The finest Santa Bárbara coffees are dense on the tongue, with saturated sugars, jammy textural tones, and tropical-fruit acidity. They’re for adventurous palates, though they provide structured sweetness anyone can appreciate.

Honoring this region, its producers, and the fruits of their labor by enjoying these coffees can support a community that’s faced many challenges, past and present. Among other things, Honduras struggles with overwhelming outmigration, frequent hurricanes, and a rapidly changing climate. But these coffees reflect the virtues of persistence and vision under difficult circumstances.

The latest volume of our original publication, Parchment, takes us to the Santa Bárbara mountain in the company of our exporting partners at Beneficio San Vicente. We invite you to savor this coffee while reading more about this special region in Volume 003.