Mill Bank Honduras Capucas Decaf

Description

Tasting notes of milk chocolate and apricot

Roast: Medium

Altitude: 1450-1600 MASL

Variety: Caturra

Central American coffee is renowned for its high-quality arabicas, and Honduran coffee is no different. Positioned amidst Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, it resides in a prime area for exceptional coffee production. Sharing similar growing conditions with its more popular neighbors, Honduran coffee typically offers a blend of darker, caramel notes with hints of tropical fruit and berries.

Several decades ago, the government initiated incentives for small farms to start operations, resulting in over 100,000 families participating in coffee production, with 70% of them cultivating on less than 2 hectares each. Situated on and around the Celaque mountain, the highest peak in Honduras, is the Cooperativa Cafetalera Capucas Limitada (Cocafcal) or simply Capucas. Founded in 1999 by Jose Omar Rodriguez, the great-grandson-in-law of the original Capucas farm owner, the cooperative derives its name from the local town of Las Capucas. In 2004, Omar assumed the role of general manager, overseeing the harvesting of coffee at its peak ripeness, which is then processed at the cooperative, washed, dried in solar dryers, and stored in parchment before being transported to the port of Puerto Cortés.

Capucas was the first in the country to establish a facility for large-scale drying of microlots using solar dryers. The cooperative has implemented various initiatives to enhance the well-being of workers and the local community, including providing free healthcare services with a resident GP in the health center at the heart of Las Capucas.

In 2016, Capucas collaborated with the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) to offer university education to their workers through a virtual classroom set up in the rural area of San Pedro Copan. UNAH contributes technical support, teaching staff, and study materials for the students. Additionally, Capucas offers a free football academy, a virtual library for cooperative members, children, and partners, and the coffee has been decaffeinated using the Swiss Water method, which is entirely chemical-free unlike other solvent-based processes like methylene chloride and ethyl acetate.