We’ve been buying Honduran coffee from Union MicroFinanza (UMF) for over a year now. UMF provides microloans and in-country assistance to farmers. With the help of UMF, the farmers have been producing better and better coffees to the point where this year the best lots were separated out. These were offered as microlots instead of being blended together at the co-op. A premium was paid to the farmer for these coffees. We purchased all of the lot from a single farmer, Filadelpho Jaurez based solely  on it’s flavor. It has tropical fruit up front with notes of honeysuckle and the pleasant bittersweetness of grapefruit.

The first sip of our 2011 offering had everyone commenting on how incredibly sweet it is. It then develops flavors of orange rind, ripe plum or pear with a touch of minerality. The finish is long and left us with the subtle hints of warming, savory herbs, making us think how well this coffee would pair with roasted poultry.

This blend comes from 3 notable farms with whom we work: the Guatemala Ixil A’achimbal, the Brazilian Daterra Estate and a bit of Indian from the Sethuraman estate. It’s bright and fruit with a smooth rich body and a touch of spice.

Give it a try and let us know what you think!

This is the 3rd year we’ve enjoyed this special coffee and it’s the best yet. It is a true success story of native farmers getting their land back and re-establishing themselves through the production of great coffee. In cooperation with an NGO and importer in Seattle, the farmers are producing quality coffee and being paid a premium for it. It is unique in that the farmers themselves set the price for the coffee. This coffee has a floral blossom aroma, velvety body and flavors of dark berries and toast.

We are featuring a Honduran micro-lot from Finca Liquidámbar. The coffee has notes of plum, milk chocolate and a subtle hint of grapefruit; a crisp clean cup. The coffee is produced by Reina Mercedes Claro. Our friend Mike Love first saw Reina’s coffee at a Cup of Excellence competition two years ago. This year Mike brought in the entire lot and offered to share it with us. We fell in “love” with it on first sip.

This is only the second espresso we’ve offered in 7 years and, like mambo music, this espresso has many influences. It starts with the Brazilian coffee in our Espresso Blend #1 for a sweet base and then heads off to Guatemala for some bright notes. We then add a touch of some very carefully dark-roasted funky Sumatran and finish with a very special Indian directly imported from our friend Nishant Gurjer. Nishant’s Kaapi Royale farm has been a favorite of ours for a few years now. Espresso Mambo #2 has a pronounced and pleasant brightness with flavors of lemon, spices and a hint of minerality.