Honduras – Caballero – Las Lomas #1

The Caballero coffees are named after Marysabel Caballero, even though it is actually both Marysabel and her husband, Moises Herrera, who create these beautiful coffees. Moises always says lovingly that it is Marysabel who is the star. It is no surprise when you meet Marysabel, she is warm and charming and together they are some of the most genuine and lovely people I have ever met.

The family have many small to medium farms located in Marcala, south east in Honduras. They are all in the surroundings of their beneficio (wet mill) Xinacla. It’s a central mill where they deliver cherries from each farm and process the coffees. They usually keep each farm’s production separate but when the volume is too small from the day’s pickings, they can also combine pickings from different farms. We call these blends « Caballero », without an additional name on our offer list.The quality can easily compete with the coffees from a single block or farm, but it is blended to create slightly bigger lots.

Marysabel and Moises are very focused on sustainable practices in farming and milling. They have been extremely successful producing quality coffees and have contributed to the improving reputation of Honduran quality coffees. Everything they do on the farms is documented, and they invest considerable time and resources both in new equipment and planting of new coffee varieties in order to improve the quality of the coffee.

Las Lomas farm sits at 1560 meters above sea level. This coffee has been naturally processed and we believe Moises has a special touch when it comes to natural processing. Moises is continuously saying he is retiring but we hope that won’t happen any time soon.

Processing: Extended Fermentation Natural

Variety: Catuai

Processing: Other

Crop year: 2023

Cupping score: 85

Cupping notes : Bright fruit upfront, and notes of caramel and chocolate. Some pleasant juicyness

Origin: Marysabel Caballero & Moises Herrera

Marysabel Caballero and her husband, Moises Herrera, are 2nd and 3rd generation coffee farmers. They have been awarded for their commitment to developing quality coffee in Honduras several times. We have known the family since mid 2000, while Nordic Approach started buying coffee from them in 2012.

Marysabel´s father, Don Fabio Caballero, inherited large areas of land in and around Marcala from his father, who was one of the pioneers of coffee cultivation in Honduras. Marcala is located in the South East of Honduras.

After many years of poor profits, he decided to pass his land down to his children; to his daughter Marysabel and her husband, especially. Moises brought his own farms into the family business as well, and together, they own almost 200 hectares of cultivated land, separated into 17 different farms.

All of their farms are within close proximity to their ‘beneficio’ (wet mill), Xinacla. It is a central mill to which they deliver cherries and process coffee. They usually keep each farm’s production separate, except for when the volume is too small from the day’s pickings. In such cases, they combine pickings from different farms. We call these blends « Caballero », without an additional name on our offer list. The quality can easily compete with the coffees from a single block or farm, but it is blended to create slightly bigger lots.

Their farms have a clay-like soil, and their main cultivar is Catuai. They also cultivate other varieties like Java, Pacamara, and Geishas. The areas the farms are located in generally have wet and windy conditions. Some farms have shade, while others do not. There is a mix of flat plateaus and hillsides, with moderate to steep inclines.

Everything they do at their farms is documented. They invest a lot of time and resources for new equipment and planting new varieties, ultimately improving the quality of their coffee.

Marysabel and Moises have always focused on quality, which awarded them 3rd place at the annual SCAA “Coffee Of The Year” competition in 2010. They have also done well in the Cup of Excellence for several years, as one of the few producers from their area.

Impact

The Caballeros are very committed to making their farms environmentally sustainable. On their farms, they focus on soil quality improvements, to ensure a healthy growing environment for their coffee shrubs.

They produce organic fertiliser made from cow and chicken manure, mixed with pulp from coffee cherries and other organic material. This is used in addition to mineral fertiliser, ensuring that the coffee plants get all the nutrients they need. Oranges, avocados, flowers, bananas and other fruits are also grown at the farms, mainly for the cherry-pickers to eat. Biodiversity at the farms also ensures better growing conditions and shade for the coffee trees.