Honduras Sweet Orange EstateCoffee Bean Intro:
Honduras | Sweet Orange Estate
Honduras El Naranjo
Country: Honduras
Region: Marcala
Elevation: 1425 meters
Variety: Catuai
Process: Washed
Coffee cultivation began in Honduras in 1804, and now there are 280,000 hectares of coffee farms, mostly operated by smallholder farmers, with most farm sizes under 3.5 hectares. These smallholders account for 60% of the country’s coffee production.
Sweet Orange Estate
Sweet Orange Estate (El Naranjo) is located in Marcala, which belongs to the La Paz region. The coffee produced here can rival that of another famous Honduran region, Santa Barbara. The Caballero family also has farms in Marcala, and their farm in La Paz won the championship in 2016.
Many estates are named after the shade trees planted on them. Thus, the shade trees at Sweet Orange Estate are tall wild orange trees, whose aroma is incredibly strong. The estate grows coffee with a rare richness in sweetness, and the orange trees contribute layered floral and fruity notes. Currently, the estate cultivates Catuaí, Bourbon, and Geisha varieties. The entire estate spans 43 hectares, with an average elevation of 1650m.
Variety
The Catuaí variety used in this Sweet Orange Estate coffee from Front Street Coffee is very popular among farmers. It is high-yielding, similar to Catuai, with a compact plant structure suitable for dense planting. It has good resistance to natural disasters, especially wind and rain. It inherits the advantage of Catuaí’s low tree height, addressing the drawbacks of Caturra. Another benefit is its sturdy fruit, which is less prone to dropping under strong winds, overcoming the fragility of Arabica cherries.
Washed process
This Sweet Orange Estate coffee from Front Street Coffee uses the washed process, with steps: screening - pulp removal - fermentation for 16-36 hours - washing - drying.
Front Street Coffee Roasting Curve
This coffee is of SHB grade, with medium bean density. The yellowing point occurs around 5 minutes and 15 seconds, after which the heat is reduced and the air vent is opened to initiate the Maillard reaction. At first crack, the air vent is fully opened, maintaining the heat at approximately 192.4°C. The coffee is dropped 2 minutes and 00 seconds after first crack.
Roaster: Yangjia 600g semi-direct-fire
The drum temperature is preheated to 200°C before loading the beans. The air vent is set to 3, and the heat is turned on after 30 seconds, adjusted to 160. The turning point occurs at 1’31”, maintaining the heat. At 5’15”, the beans turn yellow, the grassy aroma disappears, and the dehydration phase begins. The heat is reduced to 130, and the air vent is opened to 4. At 170°C, the heat is further reduced to 110.
At 8'40", dehydration is complete, with the bean surface showing wrinkles and black spots. The toast aroma transitions to coffee fragrance, signaling the prelude to first crack. The heat remains unchanged, the air vent is opened to 5, and attention is paid to the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 9’11”, with the air vent fully open to 5. The development time after first crack is 2 minutes, and the coffee is dropped at 192.4°C.
Region Intro:
The vast majority of coffee varieties grown in Honduras are Arabica, mainly Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Typica and Pacas-derived varieties.
Honduran coffee beans are relatively large in size, uniform in size, and even and glossy in color. Caturra - native to Brazil, is a mutation of Bourbon. Catuai - originating from Brazil. It is a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra. The fruit shape is quite similar to Bourbon, but the yield per plant is higher, and the flavor also has a pleasant acidity.
