Decades ago, many companies would offer their employees a "thirteenth check" during the month of December, effectively doubling their monthly pay as a way of saying THANK YOU!, and, HAPPY HOLIDAYS. With this exclusive 13th black label release of the year, we hope to convey the same to our beloved black label subscribers. Thank you for coming on this crazy tasting journey with us all year; this bag is especially for you.

MEET THE PRODUCER | Benjamin Paz is a cornerstone of Honduran specialty coffee, and we’re not just saying that because he’s a personal friend. A third generation producer with deep roots in both coffee production and exporting, Benjamin began working with the exporting venture, San Vicente, in 2008 and began growing his own coffee four years later. Since those first trees were planted, Benjamin has won the Honduras Cup of Excellence multiple times, including in 2024, when our director and head roaster had the tremendous privilege of celebrating with him in person. 

Away from the cupping table, Ben is an advocate for both environmental stewardship and economic opportunity. On his own farms, he has championed sustainable farming practices and forest conservation initiatives for years. Additionally, through his work with San Vicente, Ben pours a great deal of energy into connecting other local producers to reputable specialty roasters, helping to ensure fair prices for the farmers in his beloved Santa Barbara region.

TRUST THE PROCESS | A couple of years ago, Benjamin was propagating SL28 and Gesha seedlings in a nursery located on the La Salsa property, but they weren't really thriving there. In a last-ditch effort to save the seedlings, Benjamin decided to go ahead and plant all of them together on the same plot of land, rather than taking precious time to separate them by variety first. Other varieties were planted on that plot as well. Thus, when harvest time rolled around, the resultant lot was a true field blend of both Gesha and SL28 cherries, among others. Benjamin affectionately named the lot La Ensalada, and we have had the distinct privilege of purchasing that lot in full for the last two harvests.

Previously, Benjamin processed the whole lot as a washed coffee. But this year, as part of his ongoing experimentation with dark room drying (DRD), Benjamin separated La Ensalada into three equal parts and processed each of them differently. Two of the lots are “controls,” having undergone traditional washed processing and natural processing protocols, respectively. The third underwent Ben’s proprietary DRD processing protocol. We love each of these coffees separately, but we’re enamored with the impact of DRD on this lot.

TAKE A SIP | The dark room drying process is key to the profile of this cup. DRD evokes more florality than we’ve tasted in many washed Geshas, despite the intense impact of fermentation. Simultaneously, big fruit flavors dominate the cup, all while avoiding funky notes. It’s clean and fresh while bringing some winey notes forward, yet it never crosses into booziness.

When hot, this coffee gives off a bergamot aroma, blended with tropical fruits. Lychee and mango lock arms with the flavor of grape, uniting to present like a fruit-forward red wine.

When warm, acidity increases. Malic acid takes form in notes of quince and apple, while complex citrus plays off the soft bergamot found in earl grey tea. Floral aromatics and a distinct wine quality persist.

When cool, tropical notes emerge once more, and this time, it’s pineapple on the palate. Red wine continues to wash across the flavor journey, and florals express as rose. The note of earl grey transitions to a full bergamot flavor, while the black tea transitions into a pleasant oolong finish.

Origin | El Cedral, Santa Barbara, Honduras

Producer | Benjamin Paz

Farm | La Salsa

Process | Dark Room Dried (DRD) Natural

Variety | Gesha

Elevation | 1600 MASL