Central American Coffee: Our Great New Harvest Selection

A closer look at the wide range of new crop Central American coffee on our website.

With a harvest season that spans from December to March, right now we have the widest selection of Central American coffee in stock.

Central America has been a continual source of high caliber coffee for us, and makes up a good portion of our annual volume. They’ve long been the standard for high grown wet process coffee, and innovations in processing and harvest practices has only broadened the range of flavors coming out of these countries.

The three main mountain ranges that make up the “Cordillera Central” stretch across this Equatorial zone, from Mexico all the way to Panama. High peaks and diverse microclimates have afforded many farmers ideal conditions for growing coffee.

Let’s have a look at the harvest selections from Central American countries currently stocked.

Guatemala

Neatly planted rows of coffee shrubs in San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenango.
Neatly planted rows of coffee shrubs in Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

Guatemala is one of the jewels of our list, and not just in the context of Central America. The areas we operate in – Antigua, Chimaltenagno, and Huehuetenango – all experienced an abundant rainy season, and an up-year in terms of crop size and quality. Increased supply often drives down price, however the high cost of agronomical inputs and continued shortages of workers to pick coffee has kept the base prices high for Specialty.

Right now (mid-September) we have a nice mix of Antiguan estate-type coffees, and small-holder lots from Hueheutenango. Between these two distinct regions lies a wide range of flavor profiles, and lot sizes range from single digits on up to 50 bag producer blends. Arrivals between these mainstays were staggered, meaning you can expect even representation of the two on our site going forward.

Shop Guatemalan coffee

Nicaragua

Pablo Alceron removes a few unripe cherries from the drying beds at Cafetalera Buenos Aires in Ocotal, Nicaragua.
Pablo Alcarón removes a few unripe cherries from the drying beds at Cafetalera Buenos Aires in Ocotal, Nicaragua.

As one of our suppliers in Nicaragua told me during this year’s visit, the only exported commodity outpacing coffee in Nicaragua is labor. Nicaragua migrant workers tend to follow the harvest in Central America. However, with record numbers emigrating to other countries (mainly Costa Rica and the US), Nicaraguan farmers are feeling the labor squeeze.

We once again focused on coffees from Cafetalera Buenos Aires/the Valladarez family. Their farms are mostly in the Ocotal region, a high elevation zone in Nueva Segovia that lies just across the southern border of Honduras. They mostly grow Caturra and Maracaturra, and their investments in renovations at their farms and mill (this year saw several new covered drying patios and raised beds built) has made them a consistent source of top-tier coffees. We have several wet process Caturra lots lined up, as well as dry process and honey process microlots.

Shop Nicaraguan coffee

El Salvador

Father Luis Duarte (front), and son Luis Jr (back) give us a tour of the Miravalles farm in Ahuachapán, El Salvador.
Father Luis Duarte (front), and son Luis Jr (back) give us a tour of the Miravalles farm in Ahuachapán, El Salvador.

The harvest started a little early in El Salvador, and they were our first Central American coffees to arrive as a result. This year, we went all in on a full container (285 bags) from the Duarte family who’ve managed plots in Ahuachapán for several generations (“Finca Miravalles” and “Finca San Luis” are the names we use). They do an incredible job with farm management and post harvest processing practices, hence the bump up in our 2023 volume.

They’ve replaced a lot of original Pacas cultivar with other highly regarded varieties like Caturra, Bourbon, and Gesha, as well as hybrids such as Tabí, and Castillo. This is the first year we’ve offered such a wide selection of cultivar separations from a single family (or any one origin, for that matter!), and we still have a few lots in the wings that should help keep El Salvador stocked for a while yet.

Shop El Salvador Coffee

Costa Rica

Doña María Elena of Montebrisas micro mill leads the way through her family farm, Finca La Salaca, in Costa Rica's West Valley region.
Doña María Elena of Montebrisas micro mill leads the way through her family farm, Finca La Salaca, in Costa Rica’s West Valley region.

In general, Costa Rican farmers had a rougher time last year with a very low harvest, and high cost of production (this year is looking to be much better). We still saw very good quality from the regions we are buying from, and in particular, were able to procure more coffee from Tarrazu/Los Santos region than previous years, though it came at a higher price.

Known for clean washed coffees, this year’s offerings are no exception, and where we invested the most. However, we bought more honey process coffees than previous years as the quality seemed exceptionally good from the mills we typically buy from (or at least the samples we tasted!). We also bought our first dry process Costa Rican coffees. Is the quality improving, or is our taste changing?! Whatever the case, look to mid-October for our first dry process Costa Rican coffee to be listed.

Shop Costa Rican coffee

Honduras

The Parainema cultivar with its elongated cherries at a small farm in Honduras.
The Parainema cultivar with its elongated cherries at a small farm in Honduras.

The last few years we’ve been buying coffee from Beneficio San Vicente, a well established source of Honduran microlots. While there are now many others offering a similar service, San Vicente were one of the first. In a country where volume was typically the focus, Founder Fidel Paz saw value in applying the microlot model to coffees from his town of Peña Blanca, and beyond.

We’ve managed to book 13 separate lots from San Vicente, most of which are less than 10 bags, and highlight single farmers. There’s a very interesting mix of varieties, and process methods, including a few honey process and dry process coffees.

Shop Honduras coffee

Mexico

Jute bags filled with coffee from the harvest are stored in the town gymnasium. Chiapas, Mexico.
Jute bags filled with coffee from the harvest are stored in the town gymnasium. Chiapas, Mexico.

While really a part of the North American continent, Mexico occupies our “Central America” origin category, as we don’t have one for North America since there’s literally one country we buy from! Plus, most of the coffee is grown near the southern tip of Mexico, in Oaxaca, just across the border from Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

This year’s coffees are mostly from cooperatives around the state of Chiapas, and blended by town. A lot of the coops are certified organic too, which you’re likely to find on our offer list. We tend to have fewer Mexican coffees than most of the other Central American regions because the lot sizes are larger. But rest assured, quality is not blended away and these coffees score high marks for roast versatility and dual-purpose (brew/espresso).

Shop Mexico coffees

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