HONDURAS COFFEE BEANS

The Caturra and Bourbon coffee beans, produced by Maria Sofia Milla in Honduras, are grown at altitudes of 1,600m above sea level and processed with the washed method.

Caturra is a mutation of the Bourbon varietal that is short with a thick core, and plenty of secondary branches. It grows well in high altitudes. The higher altitudes produce better quality, but production rate lowers.

Bourbon is a parent to a variety of Arabica varieties, named after Bourbon Island (now known as Reunion Island) where it is derived from. It’s a short tree with many secondary branches and on average produces 25% more coffee than the Typica variety. The Bourbon variety is renowned for its exceptional sweet/acid balance, and is considered by many producers and roasters to be a classic everyday drinking coffee.

The beans are grown, milled and processed all on site for more responsive processing, higher quality, traceability and consistency of the beans.

We recommend drinking the Maria Sofia Milla Caturra/Bourbon as an espresso coffee – black or with milk, pour over and a cold drip or cold brew.

                                                                                        

 

                  

MARIA SOFIA MILLA – LEPAERA, LEMPIRA, HONDURAS

Maria Sofia Milla is a family owned and operated farm in the Lepaera region of Honduras.  Lepaera is one of the oldest municipalities of Lempira which has a year-round tropical climate, and it is considered an autochthonous settlement since 1538, with the Lenca, Toltecas or Chorties Indians community as its inhabitants. The planting, gathering, and processing of coffee grains is the most important commercial activity in this area of the country, and coffee production makes the city grow faster each year

Maria Sofia Milla is not only the name of the farm but the name of the producer as well. As the daughter of coffee growing parents, her passion for coffee has been part of her life since her early years, and she began growing her own coffee in 1997. The work on the farm is done by the whole family, after picking the cherries, the coffee is processed in their own wet mill the same day.

                          

THE GREEN BEAN PROCESS

Maria Sofia Milla uses a Washed process, also referred to as the wet process, for this Caturra and Bourbon mix. The Washed process involves the coffee cherry being pulped by a machine, removing the outer layer of skin. Then the bean is left to ferment with its mucilage in water for at least one to two days, or sometimes longer. After the fermentation process, the bean is then washed from its mucilage after it has released its aroma. This process takes a large amount of skill and water, and some of the world’s finest coffees are produced with this method. The flavour it produces tends to be cleaner and brighter, with more obvious fruit flavours being enhanced.