Honduras Alex Aguilar - Honey
HONDURAS
ALEX AGUILAR - HONEY FIELD BLEND
WATERMELON RING POP, RED GRAPE, RAINIER CHERRY + PINK LADY APPLE
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: San José de los Andes in Las Vegas, Santa Bárbara, Honduras
PRODUCER: Alex Aguilar
ELEVATION: 1,554 masl
VARIETY: Bourbon, Pacas, and IHCAFE90
PROCESS: Honey processed
TASTING NOTES: Watermelon ring pops, red grape, rainier cherry, and pink lady apple.
ROAST TYPE: Light
Farm Level
Finca Los Angeles is located in the community of San José de los Andes in Las Vegas, Santa Bárbara, Honduras, and is run by Alex Aguilar. He is a coffee producer by tradition and an important part of Beneficio San Vicente's specialty coffee program. The farm is approximately 2.4 Ha and sits at an elevation of 1,554 m.a.s.l., where he grows Bourbon, Pacas, and IHCAFE90 varieties.
Alex learned the coffee trade from his father and is now passing down the knowledge to his children. His process starts by handpicking and selecting the ripest cherries, then floating and de-pulping them that same afternoon. The coffee is then fermented for between 12-18 hours, washed, and placed to dry on African beds. Depending on the weather, the drying process lasts from 16 to 21 days, really reaffirming the Honduran terroir.
Alex Aguilar and his family are living examples of the coffee-growing tradition in this region. His father worked his entire life in coffee production and passed down all his knowledge as his legacy. Alex then went on to inherit his father's farm, and since he has been in touch with coffee from an early age, it all came naturally to him. Tradition is important to this family, and so they are all involved in the farm. They help pick, process, dry, and do everything in between. We discovered Alex's farm thanks to Beneficio San Vicente and their Specialty Coffee Program initiative, which started years ago.
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?