Honduras San Vicente
HONDURAS
SAN VICENTE
TOFFEE, PECAN PIE, CARAMEL, TRAIL MIX
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: La Paz, Santa Barbara, Honduras
ELEVATION: 1400-1700 masl
VARIETY: 85% IHCAFE 90 variety and 15% Catuai
PROCESS: Fully washed and dried on raised beds
TASTING NOTES: toffee, pecan pie, caramel, trail mix
ROAST TYPE: Light/Medium
Farm Level
Beneficio San Vicente: A Specialty Coffee Hub in Honduras
Location & Focus
Beneficio San Vicente is located in the department of Santa Barbara, Honduras, near Lake Yojoa—the country's only natural lake. Operating as a specialty coffee hub, this is far from your typical exporting operation. The company specializes in SHG (Strictly High Grown) communal lots, regional communal lots, and single-farm micro-lots, working primarily with farmers who cultivate an average of 3 hectares of coffee.
Varieties & Processing
The farmers they partner with grow diverse varieties including Pacas, Catuai, Parainema, Bourbon, IHCAFE90, and Lempira. Contributors to their SHG communal lots typically process washed coffees using traditional methods: cherries are de-pulped, fermented in open tanks for approximately 16 hours, then washed and dried either in traditional greenhouse structures for 1-2 weeks or in mechanical dryers.
Historical Foundation
Beneficio San Vicente's coffee journey began in the 1950s under Mr. Cantalicio Paz, who later passed the operation to Mr. Fidel. In those early days, they traveled between coffee communities buying cherries without a physical location, driven by the sole mission of improving living conditions in these communities. This approach quickly established them as one of the major coffee buyers in the region.
Evolution & Legacy
Since then, San Vicente has witnessed and actively shaped the evolution of Honduras' coffee production chain. Today, Benjamin Paz leads the operation, serving as a reference point for Honduran specialty coffee while following his father's philosophy of excellence and hard work.
Modern Innovation
Benjamin drives growth and innovation throughout the region through San Vicente's various specialty coffee programs, which create lasting connections between farmers and long-term buyers. The Coffee Quest recognized Benjamin's efforts in connecting small farmers with roasters and importers worldwide and decided to join his mission.
Program Excellence
Their SHG and Proyecto Cabañas represent just a few examples of Benjamin's many programs. From communal lots to single-farm lots, Beneficio San Vicente maintains a presence that leaves no farmers behind, proving that their model of transparency and direct trade is unparalleled in the industry.
Partnership Philosophy
This commitment to comprehensive farmer support and transparent trade practices makes Beneficio San Vicente an ideal partner for roasters seeking both quality coffee and meaningful relationships with origin communities.
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?