CABALLERO / HONDURAS（El Puente）
Caballero / Honduras
Flavor Profile :
Plum, Dried fruits, Brown sugar, Creamy mouthfeel.
Origin: Honduras
Producer:Marysabel Caballero & Moises Herrera
Region: Marcara > Chinacla
Farm: El Puente
Variety: Catuai
Process: Washed
ALtitude: 1600masl
Harvest: 2023
The coffee produced by the husband and wife team of Marizabel and Moisés, familiar faces at Fuglen, is meticulously managed from cultivation to harvesting and processing. Their coffee exhibits vibrant fruitiness and a clean, never tiring balance that makes you want to drink it every day.
Marizabel Caballero is a 3rd generation coffee farmer who, together with her husband Moisés Herrera, owns over 150 hectares of land near Marcala, Honduras where they grow coffee. Marizabel's father, Don Fabio Caballero, is widely recognized as a pioneer of high-quality coffee production in Honduras. The Caballero family also operates a large wet mill where their coffee is processed and dried.
The beneficio (wet mill) is located near Xinacla, where cherries harvested from the various farms are delivered and processed. While production from each farm is usually managed separately, sometimes cherries from different plots are combined into the same lot when yields are low.
The selected cherries are transported to the mill run by the Caballero couple in Marcala, where after depulping (removing the skin), the mucilage is removed using a Penagos Aqua pulper. The mucilage-free parchment then ferments for 12 hours in a tank before passing through washing channels to separate the dense, ripe coffee from underripe beans. The sorted parchment is soaked in clean running water for about 12 hours, then dried for 14 days on raised African beds.
We started carrying coffee from Marizabel and Moisés in 2017. The previous year, before moving our roastery to Noborito, They visited us, and we were immediately drawn not just to their coffee, but to their friendly and open-minded personalities as well, becoming instant fans. While we didn't carry their coffee initially, the following year we were allowed to visit their farm.
This is the first time we've purchased coffee from the El Puente plot. This area was one of the things that initially piqued our interest in the Caballeros' coffee. Located at a relatively high elevation, it produces high-quality coffee characterized by complex fruitiness and distinct flavors.
The Caballero family is also mindful of the environment on their farm and takes proactive measures to maintain a healthy plantation. A key focus is on soil health, primarily using organic compost made from cow and bird manure mixed with coffee pulp. This contributes to improving coffee quality. As the farm environment improves, so does the quality of the coffee.
During harvest, local pickers are hired and trained to select only ripe cherries. Pickers carry two bags while harvesting - one for ripe cherries and another for overripe, damaged, or underripe cherries. The coffee is collected daily, and pickers are paid according to the weight of the cherries they harvest.
The wet mill process has also been improved with the introduction of water-saving washing methods. During the coffee processing, the wastewater used has the potential to negatively impact the surrounding environment, so it needs to be filtered in stages before being released. Here, efforts are made to minimize wastewater and thoroughly filter it.
When removing immature, light "floater" beans, a combination of density-based sorting and color identification is used. While these machines require significant investment and the process is time-consuming, they allow for more precise sorting and reduce a large amount of wastewater, making it an ideal investment. The funds for these investments come from the revenue generated by us drinking their coffee.
The Caballeros understand what roasters and importers are looking for and value communication and interaction with buyers. When asked about the coffee produced with their new processing method, Moisés responded, "We're meeting what customers want." Moisés always aims to exceed expectations.
⇒Interview for Marysabel and Moises
Product👇
Caballero / Honduras 🇭🇳
