Honduras El Pedrero - Washed Process Pink Bourbon
HONDURAS
FINCA EL PEDRERO WASHED PINK BOURBON
ORANGE HONEY CAKE, POWDERED SUGAR, SOFT CITRUS, KINDER BUENO
Pink Bourbon from Honduras is definitely a rarity.
When I first cupped this coffee, it immediately stood apart for it's clean and soft flavors. It's everything I love about the variety—crystalline sweetness, citrus-driven acidity, and incredible elegance—but expressed through a distinctly Honduran lens. Think orange blossom honey, powdered sugar, Kinder Bueno, and a delicate citrus sparkle that carries through an exceptionally clean finish.
It's nuanced, refined, and one of the sweetest washed coffees we've roasted this year.
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: Tierra Colorada, La Paz, Honduras
PRODUCERS: Carlos Ernelio Ortiz ("Don Nelo")
VARIETY: Pink Bourbon
ALTITUDE: 1,780 masl
PROCESS:
Only ripe cherries are hand-picked before traveling through the farm's gravity-fed transport system to the wet mill. The coffee is depulped and fermented in concrete tanks for 8–12 hours, then thoroughly washed before drying slowly on patios for 10–13 days, with the parchment turned several times each day for an even, consistent dry.
TASTING NOTES: orange blossom honey, powdered sugar, Kinder Bueno, and a delicate citrus sparkle
ROAST TYPE: Light
Farm Level
About the Farm
Finca El Pedrero sits high above Tierra Colorada in La Paz, Honduras, where Carlos Ernelio Ortiz ("Don Nelo") farms alongside his son Edy and two grandsons. Three generations now work together on this remarkable farm, perched at 1,780 meters above sea level.
Don Nelo purchased El Pedrero with a clear goal: grow exceptional coffee where the altitude and cool mountain climate would allow varieties like Pink Bourbon to reach their full potential.
Today, that vision is paying off.
Ingenuity at Elevation
The steep terrain that makes El Pedrero such an incredible place to grow coffee also makes harvesting incredibly difficult.
Rather than hauling heavy bags of cherries down dangerous mountain trails by mule, Don Nelo designed an ingenious gravity-powered transport system.
At the highest point of the farm, freshly picked cherries are loaded into a barrel connected to a network of PVC pipes. Gravity carries the fruit safely down the mountain to the wet mill below, where family members receive the cherries moments later—fresh, intact, and ready for processing.
It's one of the most creative farm solutions we've come across.
The Process
This is a beautifully executed traditional washed Pink Bourbon.
Only ripe cherries are hand-picked before traveling through the farm's gravity-fed transport system to the wet mill. The coffee is depulped and fermented in concrete tanks for 8–12 hours, then thoroughly washed before drying slowly on patios for 10–13 days, with the parchment turned several times each day for an even, consistent dry.
The result is an exceptionally transparent expression of Pink Bourbon—sweet, vibrant, and remarkably clean.
Our Partnership
El Pedrero comes to us through our exporting partners CONEXH (Corporación Exportadora de Café de Origen Natural de Honduras), a family-owned exporting company founded in 2021.
CONEXH is dedicated to elevating Honduran coffee through quality-focused farming, thoughtful processing, and long-term relationships with producers across La Paz.
We're excited to continue exploring what Honduras is capable of—and coffees like this make that future look incredibly bright.
Bean Details
ORIGIN: Tierra Colorada, La Paz, Honduras
PRODUCER: Carlos Ernelio Ortiz ("Don Nelo")
FARM: Finca El Pedrero
ELEVATION: 1,780 masl
VARIETY: Pink Bourbon
PROCESS: Washed
FERMENTATION: 8–12 hours in concrete tanks
DRYING: Patios for 10–13 days
ROAST TYPE: Light
Brew Guide
Filter & Espresso
You bought great coffee. Brew it that way. Below is how we approach extraction at Color — built from years of roasting, tasting, and a lot of dialing in on our favorite brewers: Hoop, Pulsar, UFO, and Origami Air.
Brew how you’d like — but if you want it how we taste it, start here.
REST
Great coffee changes over time. Don’t rush it.
Filter:
→ 2–6 weeks off roast
→ Sweet spot: 3.5–6 weeks
This is where things get cleaner, riper, and more clear. Fruit tones deepen. Structure gets polished and the finish cleans up.
Espresso:
→ 4–6 weeks off roast
You can pull earlier. It’ll be brighter and aromatic. Around week 4, it rounds out and gains density.
If you enjoy tasting evolution like me, just keep brewing and wait for it to get better!
WATER
Water matters more than most variables. We QC with TWW at full strength, the light roast profile, but these coffees truly sparkle with most soft water profiles. Most mountain water is hard so be sure to adjust accordingly. Definitely filter out chlorine and sulfur if using tap water. Apex is making some really cool water drops!
Ideal Range:
→ 30–80 ppm
→ Moderate alkalinity
→ Balanced calcium/magnesium
Softer water increases clarity and perceived sweetness. Harder water can flatten acidity and mute top notes as well as muddy the finish.
FILTER BREWING
Core Philosophy
- Even extraction > aggressive agitation
- Minimize channeling
- Control flow rate
- Your taste is the most important factor!
- Bed Depth is critical, check out Jonathan Gagne’s thoughts on this
We aim for:
- Extraction Yield: 20–23%
- TDS: 1.35–1.55
- Clean, structured sweetness
- The least amount of astringency possible
- No hollow center, flat beds
RATIO
We cup at 1:17
For brewing, we gravitate toward:
- 1:16 – 1:17
- Personal favorite: 1:16.75
- If the coffee is ultra-dense or fruit-forward, push toward 1:17. If you want more saturation and body, lean toward 1:16.
GRIND
Medium-fine for most flat-bottom / hybrid brewers.
You should see:
- Even drawdown
- No stalling
- No rushing
- See Jonathan Gagne’s bed depth post
If it tastes:
- Sour → grind finer or reduce chanelling
- Bitter/astringent/dry → grind coarser
- Thin → increase extraction (finer or hotter water)
BREWERS WE LOVE
Hoop
Low agitation. High clarity. One pour.
Let gravity do the work. Make sure to break the crust when you finish pouring.
Use a metal aeropress filter if you’re struggling with choking and/or slow draw downs.
Pulsar
Excellent for brewing for 2 people.
Aim for doses 25g - 30g to reduce channeling risk.
Bloom with the valve closed. Open after the first pour.
UFO
Expressive, modern clarity.
Great for highlighting fruit structure. Forgiving.
We love the sibarist filters.
Origami Air
Run conical filters for clarity, flat-bottom for structure.
Control your pour pattern — even spirals, minimal disturbance.
Thermally stable, easy pour over option.
POUR OVER POUR STRUCTURE (General Framework)
For a 1:16–1:17 brew:
- Bloom: 2–3x coffee weight (45–60g for 21.5g dose)
- 60 sec bloom
- 2–3 controlled center-out pours
- Avoid heavy swirling or stirring
- Let it draw down naturally with a light rattle after the last pour. Agitation increases extraction — use it intentionally.
ESPRESSO
Rest longer. Be patient.
Starting Parameters:
- 1:2 – 1:2.5 ratio
- 25–35 sec
- 93–95°C
- Adjust based on roast level and density
These coffees often open up at slightly higher extraction. Don’t be afraid of longer shots if they remain sweet and structured. More shot volume = more extraction.
You’re looking for:
- Dense sweetness
- No harsh finish
- Lingering fruit or chocolate clarity
- Structured acidity, not sharpness
If it’s thin → grind finer or increase ratio
If it’s harsh → coarsen or lower temp slightly
WHAT WE’RE TASTING AT OPTIMAL EXTRACTION
- Saturated sweetness
- Clear fruit articulation
- No hollow mid-palate
- Weight without heaviness
- Long finish
When you hit it right, it feels polished. Not loud. Not dull. Just complete.
FINAL NOTES
- Rest matters.
- Water matters more.
- Extraction is measurable.
- But taste is king.
Brew whenever you’d like. Track changes. Stay curious.
If you dial something incredible on your Hoop, Pulsar, UFO, or Origami Air — tell us.
We’re always chasing better coffee.
— Color Coffee
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?