Honduras Cerro Azul

Finally get to launch this coffee which had given us a challenging time since we first did trial roasts on it. We went through quite a few trials (a little more than usual) before getting the roast profile which we feel brings out the best of this coffee.

Honduras is a country which we passed through the border twice during our past origin trips to El Salvador and Nicaragua, but never got a chance to actually spend time in this country. It is the top coffee producer in Central America this current year harvest based on a recent report from the Honduran coffee institute, IHCAFE. In the past and until recently, a significant amount of Honduran coffee were being smuggled into neighbouring Guatemala, where producers would pass them off as Guatemalan and get paid premiums. But so far this season, Honduran coffee has been fetching higher prices than Guatemalan coffee, as Honduran coffee gains quality recognition.

This new coffee, from Finca Cerro Azul, is situated in the department of Comayagua, in the municipality of Siguatepeque. Cerro Azul was an abandoned farm before the Mierisch family (our direct trade partner in Nicaragua) started a project to revitalise it in 2011. The farm lies on the other side of Lake Yojoa, and is blessed with micro-climates and conditions similar to their farms in Nicaragua. Together with farm managers Francisco Escobar and Lidia Zeledon, they had been working hard to transform this farm by removing existing IHCAFE and Lempira varietals and replacing them with better tasting Red Catuai, JavaNica and Laurina (naturally low caffeine coffee plants).

This year, when we visited the Mierisch family, we managed to cup some samples of different microlots from Cerro Azul. It was exciting for us as we would like to showcase Honduran coffee at Nylon after the delicious Finca Matilde we had earlier this year. However, when we returned to Singapore, those lots which we shortlisted were all sold out! Fortunately, we were recommended to try another microlot #255 to see if we like it. We did and hence, this microlot is now available at Nylon!

This microlot is of Red Catuai varietal, planted on a plot named Malpaso. This is a washed coffee, with 36 hours of fermentation and dried under the sun for 10 days.

We recommend this coffee for filter brew. On the nose, we get floral aromatics. In the cup, blackcurrants and berries at the beginning with sweet pear-like acidity. In the finish, we get hints of cinnamon. This is a rather complex cup but yet comforting in its own way. Take your time to drink this coffee, you might find the change in flavours rather intriguing.

• Farm: Cerro Azul
• Producer: Mierisch family
• Farm managers: Francisco Escobar and Lidia Zeledon
• Region: Rio Bonito, Siguatepeque, Comayagua
• Wet/Dry mill: Cerro Azul
• Varietal: Red Catuai
• Altitude: 1550m asl
• Processing: Washed and sun-dried

El Salvador Finca San José

This month has been frantic as we roll out another new fresh crop from the Centrals to complement our range of single origin espresso. Introducing Finca San José, from El Salvador, not to be confused with the farm with the same name that we had last year from the Mierisch family in Nicaragua. We had the opportunity to cup this coffee with our friends from Viva Espresso in their cupping lab in San Salvador and it easily went into our shortlist. This farm is located in Sonsonate (Western El Salvador) with altitude ranging from 1379 to 1645m asl. We actually travelled through this town back in 2011 when we took some time off work, so it stuck to us fairly easily when we started to find out more about this farm. Rummaging the history books, Finca San José was purchased by Mr Rodolfo Ruffatti in 1934. The farm is currently owned by the great-grandchildren, Mr Mauricio Ruffatti and his sisters, Adela and Fiorella.

The farm produces mainly Red Bourbon, and also Pacas and Pacamara. Many of the Bourbon trees in the original plantation are still productive at almost 80 years old of age. The coffee is processed at Beneficio Tuxpal, which is managed by our friend, Federico Pacas. When we visited Beneficio Tuxpal, we were impressed by the operations of the wet and dry mill. Federico and his team have put in a lot of effort to produce and process high quality coffees. We are very honoured to have the opportunity to work with Federico and this coffee is one of the two we have bought from Cafe Tuxpal. This particular lot from Finca San José is a fully washed coffee. It is super clean and sweet with notes of dark cherries and sultanas. One would love the creamy mouthfeel of the espresso and for milk-based coffee drinkers, you might find yourself drinking a hot cup of chocolate sundae!

• Farm: Finca San Jose
• Producer: Ruffatti family
• Region: Sonsonate, El Salvador
• Wet/Dry mill: Beneficio Tuxpal
• Varietal: Red Bourbon
• Altitude: 1379 - 1645m asl
• Processing: Washed and sun-dried

Nicaragua El Suspiro

New fresh crop!!! El Suspiro is one of the few coffees sourced from our trip to El Salvador and Nicaragua back in February this year. This coffee really got our attention on the cupping table at Beneficio Don Esteban, the dry mill where all coffees of the Mierisch family are brought together from their eight farms in Nicaragua.

Finca El Suspiro is one of the farms owned by the Mierisch family. The Mierisch family has roots in coffee going back to 1908. The last 15 years have lead to a dramatic increase in unique microlots. With investment in new cultivars, techniques, processing, and employee training, the family has proven that hard work and dedication get results. They have been COE winners several times and have also attained a solid reputation as socially and environmentally responsible farmers. El Suspiro is the smallest farm amongst those owned by the Mierisch family. This farm is located in Matagalpa, a well-known area for coffee production in Nicaragua. Maria Ligia Mierisch, one of the 4 Mierisch siblings, started getting more actively involved in the management of this farm in recent years.

The coffee varietals grown in this farm include Caturra Estrella, Red Catuai, Red Bourbon, Orange Bourbon and Maracatu. The microlot which we selected is of Red Bourbon varietal and pulped natural processed. This is truly a delicious fruity cup when hot and transforms to a more caramel and chocolaty cup as it cools. The floral aromas, cranberry acidity, citrus flavours and almond notes really shines through as a drip coffee. This is a well-balanced coffee that would work well as a morning coffee or for an afternoon caffeine break.

• Farm: El Suspiro
• Producer: Mierisch family
• Region: Matagalpa, Nicaragua
• Varietal: Red Bourbon
• Altitude: 1350 - 1450m asl
• Processing: Pulped natural and sun-dried

 We are currently serving this coffee on the Kalita wave dripper, and the retail bags are both available in-store as well as our online shop.

El Salvador Finca El Zarzal

Back in October last year, we started offering coffee from Finca El Zarzal. This year, we made our trip to San Vicente in El Salvador to meet Ben Argueta, the farm owner, and to visit Finca El Zarzal. During this trip, we had the honour to break into Ben’s new cupping lab, located in their beneficio. We spent a few hours cupping plenty of samples and shortlisted those we like. As a result of this cupping session, we bring you another lovely coffee from Finca El Zarzal.

Finca El Zarzal is located on the San Vicente Volcano in central El Salvador. This estate coffee farm contains 40 hectares of coffee and a 10 hectares forest reserve. The farm’s altitude ranges from 1290 -1520 meters.The farm sits atop the Chichontepec Growing Region, one of the smallest of El Salvador’s coffee producing zones.

Finca El Zarzal is cultivated with heirloom varieties of Bourbon (Red) and Typicas. All coffee is shade grown under high density native trees. The farm is managed by, Mr Hernan Linares, an agronomist with nearly 40 years of experience working in the coffee industry, Mr. Linares has implemented a lot of quality improvements over the last few years. Shade and soil management, tree pruning and plant nutrition are routinely experimented with and evaluated in the never-ending quest of producing a better tasting cup. 

In 2005, the Argueta family set up their own ecological mill, Beneficio Monte Benny, in the town of Verapaz, San Vicente. This micro-mill processes only their own coffee and allows them to have complete control over the quality of the final product before export. Most of the coffee is sun-dried on patio but raised African drying beds are also used to custom process specialty micro-lots.

in 2011, the Argueta family began to export their green coffee under its own San Vicente Coffee Company brand. In June 2012, Finca El Zarzal is one of the 28 winners at the El Salvador Cup of Excellence Award for one of its micro-lot. The lots we selected from this year’s harvest are La Cuadrada and Tablon No. 2. La Cuadrada is a component of our Four Chairs seasonal espresso blend, while Tablon No. 2 is the new coffee we are rolling out for brews. Both lots(parcels) are similar in altitude. They run parallel to Loma Alta (another micro-lot we featured last year) which is situated at the highest point of Finca El Zarzal, ranging from 1450m-1520m asl. As a brewed coffee, we tasted red apple acidity (like Red Washington apples) with calming floral fragrance and sweetness. The finish is coated with butterscotch, cocoa and caramel. We enjoy this coffee for it balanced structure. This is an all-rounder coffee, great for morning perk me ups or an afternoon treat.

• Farm: Finca El Zarzal
• Producer: Ben Argueta
• Lot: Tablon No. 2
• Varietal: Bourbon and Typicas
• Altitude: 1450-1520m asl
• Region: Chichontepec, El Salvador
• Processing: Washed and 100% sun-dried

A New Web Experience

Hello friends,

This day has finally arrived. Welcome to our newly redesigned website.

It is the long awaited move from our original static page towards something which we have envisaged from day one. Working closely with the amazing duo team from Qu’est-ce Que C’est Design, Bryan and May, who really took on our ideas and transformed them, first through our amazing packaging, and now, through to our brand new online experience.

Our goal has always been simple - to continue sourcing great coffees and roast them to the way we think you will enjoy them. And we want you to experience this journey together with us, through our posts, videos and pictures, and more importantly, the coffees in a much easier way.

We hope you will like this new site and would love to hear what you think of it.

Thank you again for your wonderful support.

- Dennis & Jiamin