"Upon grounding, the dry aroma reveals nots of cranberry, orange and hint of blackberry. At first sip, it emphasize blackberry and blackcurrant acompanied by flavours of grapefruit, plum with a lingering hint of hawtorn and candied fruit aroma in the aftertaste. The coffee is solid and fullbodied."

Los Planes is a border town nestled between Honduras and Nicaragua, where Angel Ruben Aplicano established Finca Jeackeline, a coffee farm. He founded the farm upon relocating to El Paraiso in search of an improved quality of life, discovering that coffee was the sole crop viable and profitable in the area.

For Sr. Aplicano, coffee has not only provided for his family but has also enabled his twin children, Scarleth and Luis, to receive an education. Coffee has been an integral part of their family ever since. Thanks to training from IHCAFE, Sr. Aplicano's expertise has improved over the years, leading to enhanced quality annually.

Obtaining Rainforest Alliance (RFA) certification in 2016 inspired Sr. Aplicano to participate in the 2018 Cup of Excellence (CoE) competition, where his farm ranked #20. The Honduran CoE is highly competitive, typically involving 150 smallholders and farmers nationwide. Notably, coffee contributes to 30% of the agricultural GDP in Honduras. In the 2018 CoE, Sr. Aplicano sold his lot to Japan for USD 12097.80, reinvesting the proceeds into his farm for sustainability and further processing improvements.

Presented today is the same variety and processing technique used in the 2018 Honduran CoE: washed process Parainema. Parainema, bred by IHCAFE, is well-suited to medium altitudes and resistant to coffee leaf rust. It is a hybrid varietal originating from a cross between members of the Sarchimor variety: Villa Sarchi and Timor Hybrid.

To ensure top-quality output, only ripe cherries are harvested, and fresh water from a nearby river is utilized. After picking, the cherries undergo depulping and 24-hour fermentation before washing. Following the washing process, the coffee is dried in a solar dryer. Once it reaches the desired moisture level, it undergoes manual sorting and is packed for export.

Since the 2018 CoE, Sr. Aplicano has been directly selling his coffee to intermediaries in Japan, Korea, and China, who visit him regularly on an annual basis.

Variety : Parainema
Altitude : 1400 masl
Process : Washed
Origin : Trojes, El Paraiso