This honey-processed lot from Finca La Valentina is a perfect example of the “New Honduras.” While the region was once known mostly for reliable, chocolatey blender coffees, producers like Carlos Ernesto Mejรญa are proving that Honduran soil can produce fruit notes that rival the best in the world.
Named after Carlosโ eldest daughter, this farm is a masterclass in patience. Sitting at 1,600 meters, the cherries ripen slowly under the shade of citrus and plum trees, packing every bean with concentrated sugars and a complex, refined structure.
The Flavour Experience
If you enjoy a coffee that evolves as it cools, this is the one. It leads with a bright, jammy sweetnessโthink strawberry and black grapeโbefore settling into a deep, comforting base of milk chocolate and treacle. The “Honey” processing gives it a silky, long-lasting finish that feels much more like a dessert than your average morning cup.
The Story Behind the Beans
Carlos Ernesto Mejรญa (known locally as “Chollo”) is a fifth-generation coffee legacy. Heโs not just a farmer; heโs an engineer who balances traditional wisdom with modern precision.
At La Valentina, sustainability isn’t a buzzwordโitโs the landscape. The coffee trees grow alongside Japanese plums and citrus fruits, which provide natural shade and help maintain a stable microclimate. This intercropping doesn’t just protect the environment; it contributes to the incredible aromatic complexity found in the cup.
What is “Honey” Processed?
Thereโs no actual honey involved! After the cherries are picked, the outer skin is removed, but the sticky fruit layer (the mucilage) is left on the bean while it dries in the sun.
The Fermentation: The beans are dry-fermented for 2โ3 days.
The Drying: They spend up to 15 days on sunlit patios.
The Result: This slow drying allows the natural sugars from the fruit to “infuse” into the bean, creating that signature syrupy body and red-fruit sweetness.
This is a versatile sleeper hit. Itโs sophisticated enough for a pour-over but has enough body to make a truly “jazzy” espresso.
