The region surrounding the town of Marcala, Honduras, is widely considered the best in the country for coffee growing. This is mainly due to its topography, with much higher elevations and better soil quality than areas to the north or east. Though this is a notable advantage to the location, it is certainly not a cure-all in a country where coffee growers encounter repeated difficulties such as hurricanes, crop diseases and labour shortages.

Despite these setbacks, Marysabel Caballero and her husband Moises Herrera have built a coffee business based on quality and longevity, championing new processing styles and organic farming techniques which have driven their coffees from commercial grade to some of the country’s most coveted in the past two decades. Their approach is holistic, encompassing not only the coffee trees themselves but the entire spectrum of biodiversity on the farm, with fruit and flower species interspersed to encourage pollinators, provide shade and increase soil health.

The couple started processing coffees in the natural style a few years back, beginning with just small amounts of coffee as they were unsure if the method would work in the humid climate of Marcala. As they became more sure of the technique, they have expanded production of their natural coffees, which are blended from the ripest cherries collected across their several farms. They have given these blended lots the name ‘Caballero’ after Marysabel’s family name, an homage to the legacy of her father and grandfather who worked the same farms for decades before her.

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BREWING GUIDE 

Grown at lower elevation than many other natural coffees means this lot has much lower density and can easily go from pleasantly thick to over-heavy if brewed incorrectly. When in doubt, ease up on your brew recipe – we suggest a starting ratio of 18g coffee to 42-44g liquid espresso, with shot times between 26-28 seconds. For more brewing tips and tricks, visit our Brew Guides.