ORIGIN : San Vicente, Santa Bárbara, Honduras
FARMER : Benjamin Paz
ALTITUDE : 1600-1700 m
VARIETAL : Geisha
PROCESSING : Fully Washed, Raised Beds
ROAST : Light
TASTING NOTES : Jasmine, Apricot, Lime, Cane Sugar, Meyer Lemon
Benjamin Paz is a coffee producer, roaster, and exporter with over a decade of experience in Santa Barbara, Honduras. Finca La Salsa, located in El Cedral, specializes in Gesha and SL-28 varieties. This coveted Geisha varietal we have for you won The Cup of Excellence and has continued to break records.
Beneficio San Vicente’s founder, Fidel Paz, began working in the town of Peña Blanca, Santa Barbara, in the early 1980s. For 20 years he worked hard to establish San Vicente as a reliable exporter in the region. In 2000, his son Fidel and nephew Arturo joined the team. In 2009, another one of Don Fidel’s sons, Benjamin Paz, joined the San Vicente team, tasked with further strengthening the existing farmer-roaster relationships. In addition to his work at Beneficio San Vicente, Benjamin is also a coffee producer in his own right. His farm, Finca La Salsa, is planted with varieties not typically associated with Honduras, including Geisha and SL28. The farm is located in a unique micro-climate, shielded from direct sun and often covered in a shroud of mist with slightly lower temperatures, resulting in a deliciously sweet cup prole. Ben has won the Honduras Cup of Excellence Competition, a super prestigious honor, and is now somewhat of a coffee celebrity in the US specialty coffee scene. He also owns a specialty cafe in his hometown of Peña Blanca called El Dorao.
In the farm there are four people working permanently and 15-20 people during harvest. Throughout the year, Ben and his team perform forest conservation practices, cleaning and removing weeds manually. With a small forest reserve next to the farm, they work to educate the farm employees and local community not to pollute. They avoid contamination of water sources, and proper management of coffee processing wastewater and pulp.
We roast on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and to ensure the best tasting coffees, orders received after Monday may not be processed or shipped until the following week.