Atlas Coffee Honduras Ocotepeque Blend

on December 15, 2024

Ocotepeque is from the Western Copan mountains of Honduras. Ocotepeque is a city in Honduras' Ocotepeque department. The municipal headquarters and capital of the department is Nueva Ocotepeque. Named for the southwest corner of Honduras where it originates, the Ocotepeque Blend is a unique mix of flavors, combining a dark chocolate flavor with a hint of graham cracker. With the Ocotepeque region boasting a favorable climate with humid mornings and dry, hot afternoons, it's no wonder Honduras is known as one of the largest coffee producers in Latin America.

The immense knowledge held by the locals helps to make this smooth blend of coffee an easy favorite. With a small population of only 15,000 people, Ocotepeque is a modest farm land full of farmers wanting to share the best of the coffee bounty with customers. Check out our Coffee Club page to compare and read reviews of our favorite coffee clubs!

Coffee Background

Producing approximately six million 60kg bags each year, Honduras is known as the largest coffee producer in Central America and sixth largest coffee producer worldwide! Honduran coffee is mostly shipped to Europe and the United States. The Honduras Ocotepeque coffee blend is produced by family-owned farms in the Honduran department of Ocotepeque. Have you ever considered all of the elements that go into developing an unique, sophisticated, clean, and reliable regional blend? It's mind-boggling when you consider everything from terroir to post-harvest processing and everything in between. What about the human element, from farm management all the way up to brewing? All farms are only a few acres in size, which allows the producers to carefully manage all post-harvest processing on their farms. They delicately collect cherries, depulp, ferment, wash, and properly dry the coffee by using their own micro-mills.

About Honduras Ocotepeque Blend

Cupping Profile

Roast: Medium/Dark Roast
Body: Silky, Smooth, Balanced
Cultivar: Cultivar Caturra Types, Modern Hybrids
Flavor Notes: Malted Milk Chocolate, Graham Cracker, Marshmallow
Farm Gate: Yes

Origin Information

Grower: Producers from Ocotepeque
Altitude: 1100 – 1750 masl
Soil: Clay minerals
Region: Ocotepeque, Honduras
Process: Fully washed and dried in the sun
Harvest: November - March
Certification: Conventional

Cupping Scores

Published by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the average cupping score was 86.25/100 for this blend.

The Cupping Form allows you to note the following coffee flavor qualities: Fragrance/Aroma, Flavor, Aftertaste, Acidity, Body, Balance, Uniformity, Clean Cup, Sweetness, Defects, and Overall. These are evaluated on a 16-point scale indicating quality levels in quarter-point increments ranging from 6 to 9. To score your coffee, go through each specific flavor attribute and mark the points based on your own personal appraisal.

Quality Scale

Good: 6-6:75
Very good: 7 - 7.75
Excellent: 8 - 8.75
Outstanding: 9 - 9.75

The Final Score is calculated by adding the individual scores for each of the key criteria in the "Total Score" box. Defects are then subtracted from the “Total Score” to arrive at a “Final Score.” The Scoring Key below has shown to be an effective technique to represent the range of coffee quality for the Final Score.

Total Score Quality Classification

Outstanding: 90-100
Excellent: 85-89.99
Very Good: 80-84.99
Good: <80

(Outstanding, excellent, and very good are considered Specialty coffee, while anything below that is not.)

Farm Notes

Ocotepeque is located in southwest Honduras, neighboring Guatemala and El Salvador, and has a long history of coffee cultivation. This region's mountain ranges provide height, microclimates, and rich volcanic soil that are suitable for coffee cultivation. This location is located in the western foothills of the Celaque National Park and mountain range, which has peaks that reach above 2300 meters above sea level.

This coffee comes from small farm operating farmers in and around San Marcos, the majority of whom cultivate cultivars such as Caturra and Catuai and are located between 1400 and 1600 meters above sea level. This is a thoroughly washed coffee that has been sun-dried on patios. The green coffee is hand-sorted, which is ideal for removing defects that make it through the milling process.

Description

The dry aroma contains a nutty richness of peanut chew candy, a touch of molasses, and a herbal hint of ricola. The hot water brings up both raw sugar sweetness and an undertone of pure 'licorice' herbs, but has a green appearance, similar to stevia leaf. The creamy texture of the liquor in City+ roasts gives this coffee a high body grade. The coffee blend is bittersweet and chocolaty to the degree of darker/high cocoa solid chocolates, yet it is balanced by a convincing caramelized sweetness with a lovely smoky aftertaste. The cooling cup reveals savory toasted pumpkin seed, rice pudding, and sweetened sunflower butter top notes.

Tasting Notes: As with most Honduran coffees, this blend is pleasant and chocolatey, with a moderate acidity and medium body. Before the second crack, it has a sweeter edge to it. Clean, rich, and quite drinkable. Medium roasts are an all time favorite, although they may be too mild for some. If you prefer a robust cup, aim for reaching the second crack order to pick up a more smokey undertone

Roasting Notes: The Honduras Ocotepeque Blend is easy to roast. Very light roasts might have a grassy flavor. A few shades beyond the initial crack to as dark as you like. Medium roasts feature an ideal balance, a slight acidity, and more nutty, caramel tones. After a medium roast, it becomes a great everyday drink with medium body, moderate acidity, and a chocolaty, nutty flavor.

Why Honduras Ocotepeque Blend is Different

There are many factors that come into play that make Honduran Ocotepeque Blend special, but here are just a few:

The coffee is grown in rich volcanic soil, contributing to its unique flavor.
The climate in Honduras is perfect for coffee cultivation, with plenty of sun and rain.
The people of Honduras have a long tradition of coffee production, and they take great pride in their work
The high altitudes at which the coffee is grown contribute to its excellent quality and distinct brightness in taste.

What Are The Pros of This Coffee?

The Honduras Ocotepeque Blend has a unique mix of flavors, combining a dark chocolate flavor with a hint of graham cracker and marshmallow.

1. Bittersweet low tones are balanced by inviting caramelized sweetness, and the top notes are characterized by rice pudding, toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower butter, and tarragon chocolate truffles.

2. City+ to Full City+ roast.

3. Good for espresso.

Conclusion

If you're the type who isn't afraid to try new things, needs something new to start up your mornings or just wants to see what all the hype is about, the Honduras Ocotepeque Blend should be next on your list. This is a tasty and robust coffee with cola and dark chocolate undertones. This medium roast coffee shines in filtered drip brewing techniques, but it will taste great no matter the method you use to brew.