Artisan Roast: Honduras, San Rafael, Washed

The cool, mist-shrouded mountains to the North West of Honduras are best known for the majestic Mayan ruins at Copan; their coffee production, on the other hand, has often been overshadowed by their neighbours in Guatemala and El Salvador. The pine trees that grow around Copan, however, tell of a micro-climate perfect for ripening coffee cherries slowly, concentrating the sugars in the fruit. Innovative small producers like Norma Iris are making the most of these conditions, and the result is a sensory delight we think you will love.

Norma Iris uses a macerated fermentation to process her cherries -  a technique borrowed from the wine industry.  Here, fermentation takes place in sealed anaerobic conditions using carbon dioxide to flush out oxygen, whereas traditional fermentation happens in the open air. This intensifies certain flavour attributes and can improve quality.

As for cultivar, the large elongated bean shape of Parainema gives a nod to its Sarchimor heritage, a type of Arabica with some Robusta genes (good for resisting leaf rust, but usually not good news for cup quality).  Parainema has been developed in Honduras to be farmer-friendly, but has found many a happy buyer too with a unique often high quality resulting in the final cup. This coffee from San Rafael is a prime example of this.

We've roasted Norma Iris' coffee on the lighter side to allow the delicate floral aromas and elegance to shine.  Jasmine florals, quince and lemon verbena flavours combine with the sweetness of vanilla and muscovado sugar.  While there are citrus-like flavours the acidity is very much grape and apple-like with subtle underlying positive tannins present on a long, satisfying finish.  With this lighter approach to roasting the mouthfeel is tea-like and juicy, enhancing further the fine characteristics of the coffee.