Honduras - Victor Contreras Natural Gesha & Carlos Amaya 90-hour Washed Icatú

We've got a SURPRISE 2 pack for y'all this month. Two beautiful and very different Honduran coffees.

In the Victor Contreras Gesha we taste: strong, perfumy floral notes complemented by muscadine jam, lemongrass and vanilla

Producer: Victor Contreras

Region: Marcala, Honduras

Elevation: 1,650 meters above sea level

Process: Natural Process

Varietal: Gesha

Coffee Origin Info

Victor Contreras is a visionary coffee producer based in Marcala, Honduras who has revolutionized the coffee industry through unconventional practices that stretch beyond even biodynamic's standards.

His work focuses on balancing energies and metaphysics to recondition plants and their memories and environmental genetic programming, to produce the highest quality possible in unison with the natural rhythms of the plants.

By incorporating nature-based tools and practices of ancient wisdom traditions from around the world, his unique approach is groundbreaking and setting him twenty steps ahead of regenerative agriculture.

This is our first offering from Victor, a producer with whom we hope to work for many years to come!

In the Carlos Amaya Icatú we taste: notes of hazelnut and honey complemented by light floral notes, peach and blood orange, lime zest and greek yogurt. This is a very clean coffee, especially considering the extreme amount of time spent in fermentation.

Producer: Carlos Amaya

Region: Marcala, Honduras

Elevation: 1,600 meters above sea level

Process: 90-hour fermentation, fully-washed

Varietal: Icatú

Coffee Origin Info

Carlos Amaya is a young coffee producer carrying-on and evolving the long tradition of coffee production for the Amaya family. Carlos is mainly growing the Icatú varietal on his farm, Finca Las Huertas, in Marcala, Honduras. He focuses on clean and complex coffees and implements intricate processing methods that boost his coffee's natural sweetness, body and brightness while still ensuring that the cup, flavors are centered on varietal and terroir characteristics.

This lot is a long fermentation washed process coffee. Carlos started by harvesting only ripe cherries. The coffee was then depulped and fermented for 90 hours before being washed and then dried on raised beds. Fermentation times in Honduras typically range from 12-18 hours. This extra time in

fermentation has turned up the vibrancy, juciness and sweetness but it was managed in such a was as to not turn up the funk. This is a beautifully elegant and clean coffee demonstrating the Marcala flavor profile at its best.

Brew Guide

Hario V60 Dripper - Victor Contreras - Gesha

This coffee has been roasted uber light (actually when first coming out of the roaster we felt too light) but as the coffee has rested it has displayed a beautifully clean and fruited character that the very light roast has allowed to shine through unobstructed. A slower brew with a wider ratio really allows this coffee to to shine.

Recipe

Coffee: 22 grams

Grind size: 5.5 on the Fellow Ode (medium)

Water: 352 grams at 200˚F

Coffee to Water Ratio: 1:16

Brew Time: 3:15

Method

1.     Rinse filter

2.     Add ground coffee

3.     Start timer and saturate grounds with 66g, or so, of water.

4.     Let bloom 30 seconds.

5.     Slowly pour another 246g of water on the coffee, taking care to evenly saturate the grounds. You should end up with 312g of water poured by about 2:35.

6. Swirl brewer to ensure an even draw down of water through the bed of coffee.

7. After all water draws down, remove the brewer from your carafe.

8. Add 40 grams fresh, hot water to the carafe to dilute the brew to the proper strength.

9. Swirl the carafe once more to ensure the brew is homogenized.

10. Pour and enjoy!

Brew Guide

Hario V60 Dripper - Carlos Amaya - Icatú

This is an easy coffee to brew with a pretty standard brew recipe. The V60 highlights the clean character and sweetness of the coffee.

Recipe

Coffee: 25 grams

Grind size: 5 on the Fellow Ode (medium-fine)

Water: 375g at 200˚F

Coffee to Water Ratio: 1:15

Brew Time: 2:30

Method

1.     Rinse filter

2.    Add ground coffee

3.     Start timer and saturate grounds with 75g water.

4.     Let bloom 30 seconds.

5.     Pour water on the coffee in 100g pulses until you reach 375g. Taking care to evenly saturate the grounds and maintain a steady bed height. You should have all water poured by 2:00.

6. Swirl brewer and let water draw through grounds.

7. Brew should finish at 2:30.

8. Remove filter and discard.

9. Swirl carafe, pour and enjoy.