VERSE 3

Notes: Chocolate / Oatmeal Raisin Cookie / Carrot Cake

A Seasonal Single Origin Designed for Versatility in Brewing and Everyday Enjoyment

Origin: Honduras (Marcala) - Caballero #1

Process: Washed

Varietals: Catuai

Producers: Marysabel Caballero and Moises Herrera

Importer's Notes:

The Caballero coffees are named after Marysabel Caballero, even though it is actually both Marysabel and her husband, Moises Herrera, who create these beautiful coffees. Moises always says lovingly that it is Marysabel who is the star. It is no surprise when you meet Marysabel, she is warm and charming and together they are some of the most genuine and lovely people I have ever met.

The family have many small to medium farms located in Marcala, south east in Honduras. They are all in the surroundings of their beneficio (wet mill) Xinacla. It's a central mill where they deliver cherries from each farm and process the coffees. They usually keep each farm's production separate but when the volume is too small from the day's pickings, they can also combine pickings from different farms. We call these blends "Caballero", without an additional name on our offer list.The quality can easily compete with the coffees from a single block or farm, but it is blended to create slightly bigger lots.

Marysabel and Moises are very focused on sustainable practices in farming and milling. They have been extremely successful producing quality coffees and have contributed to the improving reputation of Honduran quality coffees. Everything they do on the farms is documented, and they invest considerable time and resources both in new equipment and planting of new coffee varieties in order to improve the quality of the coffee.

Marysabel Caballero and her husband Moises Herrera are working with over 200 hectares of land, planted with coffee. They are 2nd and 3rd generation coffee farmers and have been rewarded many times for his commitment to developing coffee quality in Honduras. We have known the family since mid 2000, and Nordic started buying coffee from them in 2012.

Marysabel´s father Don Fabio Caballero inherited large areas of land in and around Marcala from his father, who was one of the pioneers of coffee cultivation in Honduras. After many years of poor profits, he decided to hand out land to his children, and especially to his daughter Marysabel and her husband Moises Herrera. Moises brought his own farms in to the family business and together they have almost 200 hectares of coffee separated into 17 different farms.

They have since been extremely successful producing quality coffees and have contributed to the improving reputation of Honduran quality coffees. Everything they do at the farms is documented, and they invest considerable time and resources both in new equipment and planting of new coffee varieties in order to improve the quality of the coffee.

The Caballeros are extremely committed to the environmental sustainability of their farms. A lot of their energy and focus goes towards improving the soil of their farms to ensure a healthy growing environment for their coffee shrubs. Therefore, they produce organic fertilizer made from cow and chicken manure mixed with pulp from coffee cherries and other organic material. This is used in addition to some mineral fertilizer to ensure that the coffee plants get the nutrients they need. Oranges, avocados, flowers, bananas and other fruits are also grown at the farms, but mainly for the pickers to eat and to create biodiversity at the farms that ensures good growing conditions and shade for the coffee trees.

Marysabel and Moises has always focused on quality leading to getting 3rd price at the annual SCAA “Coffee of the year” competition in 2010. They have also done well in the Cup of Excellence for many years, as one of the few producers from their area.