Pedro Sagastume - Pacas Honey

MEET THE PRODUCER | As a third generation coffee producer with over thirty years of experience under his belt, patriarch Pedro Sagastume knows a thing or two about growing great coffee. In 2011, Pedro purchased land in the El Sauce community of Santa Barbara and named it Los Quetzales, the farm where he eventually chose to try his hand at growing Gesha in 2018. That decision turned out to be a pretty great one - Benjamin Paz, who won the Honduras Cup of Excellence with his own Gesha lot in 2023, described Pedro's Gesha lots as "some of the best Honduran Geshas of the season."

In recent years, Pedro has divided his farms into multiple lots and given many of them to his children to manage and cultivate for themselves. But, he still maintains some of that farmland himself, and this Pacas lot came directly from the drying beds at Los Quetzales.

TRUST THE PROCESS | The cherries are picked at peak ripeness and hand sorted before making their way to the wet mill. There, they are immediately de-pulped and then put into solar dryers (with mucilage tagging along) for around 12 days, until optimal moisture content is achieved.

TAKE A SIP | This honey-processed coffee is a near-perfect bridge between washed and natural flavor profiles. It’s heavily fruited, featuring orange and red stone fruits, like apricot and black cherry. But, it also maintains a lovely acidity and a striking sweetness, like dark honey. The body is big, round, and full. A surprising note of black currant reminds us of some of our favorite Kenyan coffees. 

Origin | El Sauce, Santa Barbara, Honduras

Producer | Pedro Sagastume (and family)

Farm | Los Quetzales

Process | Honey

Variety | Pacas

Elevation | 1600 MASL

Produced by Pedro Sagastume in the El Sauce region of Santa Barbara, this lot highlights the distinct character of Honduras · El Sauce, Santa Barbara. The coffee features the Pacas varietal, a natural mutation of Bourbon known for its compact growth and high quality. By utilizing a honey process, the producer leaves a portion of the fruit mucilage on the bean during drying, which often contributes to a syrupy body and enhanced sweetness.

Roasted by Black & White Coffee Roasters, this selection presents a complex profile defined by notes of orange, apricot, black cherry, dark honey, and black currant. When evaluating such nuanced profiles, enthusiasts often consult a flavor wheel to better identify these specific fruit and sugar-browning characteristics. This offering serves as a compelling example of how regional terroir and careful processing techniques can elevate the inherent qualities of the Pacas variety.