Yerin Sagastume - Honey

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of introducing you to Pedro Sagastume, a third generation Cup of Excellence contender from the Santa Barbara region of Honduras. Although many farms in this renown coffee-growing region are quite small, the Sagastume family has spent decades building something of an empire in the area. In recent years, Pedro has divided his farms into multiple lots and given many of them to his three sons to manage and cultivate for themselves.

Today, we get to introduce you to the youngest of those three sons, Yerin Sagastume, and share with you a really lovely blend of two lots from his share of the empire, an idyllic farm named Los Quetzales. These Honey-processed coffees offer a glimpse into the "standard" Santa Barbara cup profile, and the literal fruit of this family's tireless commitment to excellence can be tasted in every sip.

Processing: The honey processing method can be thought of as an "in-between" method of processing, compared to washed and naturally processed coffees. Using this method, the coffee is picked and sorted as red cherries before being pulped (removing the skin of the coffee cherry), but the small layer of fruit underneath the skin is left behind. The seeds - with their sticky fruit intact - are set out to dry, in this case on raised beds in a solar dryer for up to 20 days. It is this added contact time between the fruit and the seed that, when done well, adds intense sweetness and mild fruit characteristics to honey processed coffees.

In the cup: This coffee is a blend of two varieties, each of which bring something delicious to the cupping table - but it is their combined powers that blew us away. The Pacas variety is known for being vibrant, bright, and citric, while Parainema lots tend to be sweet and fruit-forward. Together, the best of both varieties are amplified. The resultant cup is crazy sweet, like Panela sugar; reminiscent of cooked stone fruits, like cherry preserves, and maintains a fleshy orange fruit note without being overly acidic, like dried mangoes. 

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Origin | Santa Barbara, Honduras

Producer | Yerin Sagastume

Process | Honey

Variety | Pacas, Parainema

Elevation | 1600 masl