We have only recently discovered examples of high grade Honduran coffee, and we're pretty glad we did. Until recently we didn't come across any lots that really stood out, until we were sent this lot from Cosecha Azul, which is a real find.

Honduras two main exports are coffee and bananas. It's seriously good on both counts. It's actually the 7th largest exporter of coffee in the world, producing around 5 million bags in the last year. This is expected to grow to beyond 8 million in the next 2 years.

Until recently, Honduras was known mainly for producing commercial grade coffee and not often linked with speciality grade coffee, compared to many other central and south American countries. This is now changing, with Honduras starting to really push their focus on quality coffee.

Around 95% of Honduran coffee farmers operate in small lot farms, with an average of 2 hectares per farm, meaning there is a large volume of microlot coffees and regional groups, forming speciality lots for export. Small, focused and varied.

Why this coffee?

We were on the hunt for a coffee specifically geared for espresso served with milk.  Ideally one that was not high priced, so that it could be enjoyed by everyone. Cosecha Azul landed on our cupping table just at the right time and won us over with it's simplicity / clean profile. It excels as a flat white.

Profile:

Cosecha Azul is not a hugely complicated coffee, but one that is very satisfying. It is low acidity, rich in body and very well balanced. It has soft cashew and cocoa nib flavours, a gentle sweetness and a creamy finish.

About the Region / Farm / Producers:

Cosecha Azul is collective name for the Cooperativa Cosecha Verde Limitada (COMICOVEL) based in the Opalaca mountains of Honduras. It was founded in 2016 to protect freshwater sources through agroforestry management as part of the Cosecha Azul (Blue Harvest) program by CRS.

Boasting 200 members, the cooperative’s two main producing areas are Orturo and San Juan, both in Intibucá department.

The cooperative focuses on sustainably managing water on a coffee farm. Their goal is to produce coffee in an environmentally friendly way that results in a sustainable price. All members farm organically, and this is the first year the co-op can export their coffee with both Fair Trade and Organic certifications.

Varietal: Catuai, Caturra & Pacas

Cosecha Azul

Machina was created by two people looking for their next creative challenge. One, an ex DJ and producer (and coffee nerd) from the music industry, the other, a long time coffee industry professional with a background in training (and an apparent obsession for show singing).

They met through a mutual friend, again through music (a common theme). From here Machina took on it's own momentum, which is an extraordinary story of people, coffee and lots of equipment (that's a lot of equipment...), on a path to becoming a respected speciality coffee roastery.

The business started off as just equipment, but was always working towards one goal - becoming a premium speciality coffee roastery. We just needed to raise funds, and ideally do it without needing to bring in investors who would (no doubt) push us in a direction that we didn't want to go in. We had a vision, and the only way to ensure that actually happened, was to do it ourselves.

Cosecha Azul

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Cosecha Azul