Country: Honduras
Department: Santa Bárbara
Nearest Town: Las Flores
Variety: Parainema
Elevation: 1350 masl
Process: Washed
Farm size: 1.5 hectares
Varieties grown: 66% Parainema, 34% Gesha
Tasting Notes: Sarsparilla, Bing Cherry, Lime
As distinct as it is consistent, Balbina’s coffee is a treasure season after season. The 100% Parainema variety selection is uniform in appearance with seeds that are large and canoe-shaped. Parainema is a hybrid variety that was created in Honduras by breeding two members of the Sarchimor variety. The result is efficient without sacrificing the potential of a good cup quality. Think high coffee yield, strong growth at medium altitudes, and tolerance to coffee diseases like leaf rust and some nematodes.
We featured both Balbina’s Gesha natural and Parainema washed varieties last year. Though the coffees are grown on the same farm, the cup experience between the two is entirely different. Known for a pronounced acidity and herbal notes, her Parainema variety sparkles with flavors of sarsaparilla, cherry, and lime that are articulated clearly in our light roast. On the other hand, her Gesha variety, prized for intense sweetness and florality, presented lovely notes of cocoa, peach blossom, and strawberry.
Balbina’s coffee was exported by San Vicente and imported by Collaborative Coffee Source/Covoya Coffee
