Day 5. Hacienda Monte Cristo - Honduras
The exact arrival time of coffee in Honduras remains uncertain, but it is believed that seeds were brought from Costa Rica between 1799 and 1804 by traveling merchants. Today, Honduras stands as the largest coffee producer in Central America, with the industry significantly contributing to the national economy.
Despite its impressive annual coffee production and great potential for growth and quality enhancement, Honduras often takes a backseat in the Central American coffee spotlight, a position more frequently held by its neighbours, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. On paper, however, Honduras has the same favourable conditions for producing excellent coffee: high altitudes, volcanic and fertile soils, an ideal climate, and ample expertise. Unfortunately, insufficient investment and poor infrastructure necessitate extra effort to discover the finest coffees that Honduras has to offer. Much of the country’s coffee output is directed toward the commodity market, despite improvements in quality spearheaded by the national coffee institute, Instituto Hondureno del Café (IHCAFE). Additionally, the high average annual rainfall, which can reach 240cm in Northern Honduras, complicates the drying process of harvested coffee before export.
Honduran specialty coffees are classified based on the altitude at which they are grown. Strictly High Grown (SHG) refers to coffees cultivated above 1200 masl, while High Grown (HG) applies to those above 1000 masl. Similar to other Central American countries, Honduran coffee is shipped in 69-kilo bags.
The SHG Hacienda Monte Cristo coffee comes from a family-owned farm in the Western Honduras region. Grown at an altitude of 1670 meters above sea level, it features a blend of Anacafe 14, Etiozar, Marcelleza, Amarillo, Catuai, Catuai Rojo, Caturra, and Java varieties. This organic-certified coffee is processed using a yellow honey method and sun-dried on raised beds, offering delightful flavors of milk chocolate, nuts, and tropical fruit in every cup.
Honduras Hacienda Montecristo is sourced from a family farm that has been in the Medina family for over five generations, since 1916. Located 15 kilometres from the provincial capital, Santa Rosa de Copan, in the municipality of Veracruz, the farm is nestled close to Guatemala's border in the fertile valleys of the Mayan Mountains. Coffee is the primary product cultivated in this mild sub-tropical climate, and Hacienda Montecristo spans a total of 279.52 hectares.
At Hacienda Montecristo, coffee is regarded as a treasured gem. The farm employs environmentally friendly practices to carefully grow each coffee bean, ensuring proper milling and drying. To enhance quality control, the farm has expanded its solar drying area to handle larger volumes. Furthermore, an additional 10.46 hectares of production have been introduced in their 2021 crop. Looking ahead, the farm aims to continue increasing its production volume annually while upholding the highest standards of quality and sustainability.
