Hoduras Mario Mejia - Natural Pacas
HONDURAS
MARIO MEJIA - NATURAL PACAS
TROPICAL SANGRIA + CHERRY PIE FILLING + RUM RAISIN, BROWN SUGAR
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: Ojos de Agua, Concepción de Soledad, La Paz, Honduras
PROCESS: Dry Process (Natural) / Raised Bed Sun-Dried
VARIETY: Pacas
TASTING NOTES: tropical sangria, cherry pie filling, rum raisin, brown sugar
ROAST TYPE: Light
Farm Level
Finca El Jardin: A New Generation of Excellence
The Farm
Finca El Jardin is located in the community of Ojos de Agua, Concepción de Soledad, La Paz, Honduras, and is managed by Mario Mejía, a 24-year-old, fourth-generation coffee grower. The farm spans 32 hectares at an elevation of 1,650 meters above sea level and boasts around 100,000 coffee trees in production. Mario cultivates Catuai, Pacas, IHCAFE90, and Pacamara varieties, along with several special exotics he hopes to bring into production in the coming years.
Processing Methods
Pacas Natural Lot: Coffee is handpicked and selected, then placed in grain-pro bags for 24 hours before drying begins.
The lot is dried on African beds, and depending on weather conditions and processing method, drying can take between 15 and 30 days due to the cool temperatures at elevation.
Mario's Leadership
Mario Mejía is one of the youngest producers we work with in Honduras. At only 24 years old, he inherited the mantle of Finca El Jardin from his father and has managed the farm flawlessly ever since. Armed with a degree in Agronomy, Mario launched the Specialty Program in his region in January 2019, becoming its leader and introducing local producers to specialty coffee while teaching them about its advantages.
In 2023, Mario elevated his operation by building his own wet mill at the farm and began offering processing services to other producers in the program. This investment demonstrates his commitment to both quality and community development, positioning him as a true leader in Honduras' next generation of specialty coffee producers.
General Brewing Instructions
- Filtered water. Spring water is ideal. Removing chloride, sulfur, and iron is essential.
- A burr grinder. The more even the coffee particles, the better the coffee. Burr grinders, whether manual or electric, will do a better job than "whirly-blade" grinders. Invest in a burr grinder. Your taste buds (and coffee roaster) will thank you.
- A scale. I know using a scale can seem a bit like you're doing something you shouldn't be. Trust me, you can only brew consistently great coffee with a scale. Water and coffee are hard to measure without one.
- Clean equipment. Properly cleaning your equipment is the only way to avoid stale and rancid coffee flavors entering your cup. Please keep your equipment clean. The sooner and more often you clean your gear, the easier it will be in the long run. Add it to your ritual and thank us later.
- Delicious and freshly roasted Color Coffee
- Hario V60 02. Check out Scott Rao's video on how to brew a better pourover than your local cafe does.
- French Press. Check out James Hoffman's video on how to brew a next level cup.
- Aeropress. Check out Tim Wendelboe's video on how to brew an exceptionally easy and delicious cup.
Coffee Faq
IS YOUR COFFEE ORGANIC OR FAIR TRADE?
In many cases, yes. However, our first priority is quality and flavor. Sometimes these priorities align and our producers are certified organic and/or fair trade. We always pay well above fair trade rates (which are quite low and don’t guarantee sustainability or quality).
Often times, the producers we work with are too small to gain certifications. It’s expensive and laborious. Many of our producers are certified organic and fair trade, including many of our producers in Peru, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME-FRAME TO DRINK MY COFFEE?
We recommend drinking our coffee within one month of the roast date. Most of our coffees taste best however within 2 - 14 days of roast date.
For espresso, we recommend using coffee that has rested at least 7 days after roast date. This is because coffee gives off CO2 after roasting that can interfere with extraction. One way to get around this is to let your ground espresso dose sit for 30-120 minutes before pulling the shot. Email info@colorroasters.com for more questions about this.
If you are pre-grinding the coffee, we recommend drinking the coffee within one week of grinding.
CAN YOU GRIND MY COFFEE ON WEB ORDERS?
Yes, we can. Please select how you want your coffee to be ground at the time you place your order. Simply click on the arrow beside "Grind" and make your selection. If you need help choosing let us know the brewing method you will be using to prepare the coffee, in the notes of the order. And we will be happy to grind the coffee for you on our commercial grinder.
DO YOU HAVE BREW RECIPES?
These are in the works! We are compiling a bunch and even shooting some video, to help you brew like us at home.
In the meantime...go here: Pour Overs | Aeropress to get some expert advice.
MY COFFEE TASTES WEAK, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?