Feature Espresso: Nely Suyapa Orellana | Honduras

Key origin info:

Producer: Nely Suyapa Orellanas

Region: El Hichozal, Corquín, Copan
Altitude: 1200 masl

Varietals: IHCAFE90
Process: Natural

Importer: Falcon Speciality

Cup profile: Jammy body, rum & raisin, almond

More about Nely:

Nely Suyapa Orellana is the owner of Las Gemelas, which is a 2 hectare farm at 1200masl in the El Hichozal area of Corquin, Copan. The farm is named after her twin daughters, who she intends to hand the farm down to. Las Gemelas is planted with Yellow and Red Catuaí, as well as some IHCAFE90. This is the fourth year that Nely has produced micro-lots, but with the help of the Specialty Agronomy Project she was able to improve the quality of her naturals considerably this year.

All the processing for the microlots takes place at the Aruco Coopertaive mill. This is to centralise production and have greater control over the process to create consistent procedures but also to reduce the risk on the producer. The mill sits at 800masl which gives a drier more stable climate to dry the coffee compared to up at the farms where the weather can be less predictable.

During harvest, the producers’ coffee will be delivered to the mill where they assess the cherry ripeness and quality and decide on the particular process for the coffees depending on space available and what the producer has done already. For production of natural lots as this one, the cherry is cleaned and washed and then floated to remove any immatures. The coffee is then taken to the beds where it is dried for between 20 -30 days weather depending where it is turned hourly.

Aruco will of course take a portion of the final FOB price of the coffee to cover their costs but the producers will still receive the majority - about 70% of the FOB price for their micro lots.