Press Coffee Roasters | San Rafael | Honduras
The Roaster
Andy Wells Founded what is now Press coffee & co back in 2010 after being disillusioned working and training for various coffee chains, sensing a rise in the value of speciality coffee shops he decided to start his journey.
The Fleet Street Press was born in 2013 with the aim to redefine the cafe experience with quality products, service and speed to suit the city of London’s busy needs.
Since then they added 2nd opening site on Chancery Lane and then their exciting collaboration and residence in Framestore.
Their latest coffee shop additions are based in Fulham Market Hall and Victoria Market Hall where they are serving their coffee alongside some of London's best artisanal eateries.
They are keen and passionate coffee people.
"The coffee that they roast is of the highest quality - Their focus is also on sourcing and showcasing the most exciting and progressive coffee producing regions in the world. "
Our latest project involves inviting likeminded shops and business to share our space either by slot or contract roasting enabling them to develop their own brand with our expertise.
Simone Dessi joined us in 2016 as Head of Coffee as we brought our coffee sourcing and roasting in house with a 3 year residency at the Tate Britain roastery. As well as numerous barista training certificates Simone has then pushed his learning to recently become a certified Q grader - a certification that is given to individuals that can classify coffee.
This is no easy course and has a very small pass rate. The six day programme combines a series of lectures and presentations designed to test every aspect of your sensory ability.
The three day blind examinations cover olfactory skills, triangulation’s, taste modalities, cupping skills and organic acid identification. It can be a gruelling experience both physically and mentally and requires strong focus and self-discipline to ensure you don’t suffer from palate fatigue.
The Coffee
As a relatively late comer to the coffee industry, Honduras has become the largest producer of coffee in Central America and now produces some of the highest quality coffee in the Americas. The location and terroir are perfect for growing coffee which is the country's second biggest export.
Over 100,000 families are involved in the production of coffee and with the investment in infrastructure and education into processing techniques from the government the coffee industry is booming. However the infamous leaf rust hit Honduras fairly hard in 2012 with many crops badly damaged, while the large amounts of rainfall is also quite a big problem when drying the coffee.
Taste profiles of Honduran coffee are fairly similar to Guatemalan coffees in that they offer a wide range of flavours. From the Northern forested region of Agalta producing darker nutty and caramel flavours through to the Montecillos region which is famed for more citric flavours and juicy acidity.
This particular coffee from Press Coffee & Co originates from the region of San Rafael in the Los Limos area of Corquin, Copan. Norma Iris Fiallos owns the farm is one of the most innovative producers in the area, with a vast array of different varieties, including bourbon, catuai, maragogype and parainema.
The farm is nestled within a pine forest, which greatly acidifies the soil, giving the coffee a very unique cup profile. The coffee is completely shade grown and the production area represents a fraction of the total land.
This lot is Norma's Lempira which has been natural processed. The cherries were cleaned and sorted prior to being placed on raised beds and dried.
The term macerated washed 90hr is the process the coffee goes through before it is dried. It basically means the coffee is subjected to an oxygen free environment (usually airtight barrels filled with CO2 or submerged in water) for the time frame. The end result is a coffee with less acidity and complex broken down sugars, creating flavours like strawberry, raspberry and cherry.
The Review
The San Rafael from Press Coffee & Co started with a typically Honduran sweet fragrance. The coffee once ground released a fruity aroma with a layer of milk chocolate.
The coffee starts fairly slow with a smooth milk chocolate mouth feel. It is well balanced and begins with a muted acidity.
The coffee is pleasant and possesses a couple of delicate fruity notes, a suggestion of strawberry midway through the sip. The coffee builds and evolves and all of a sudden from the slow start a complex and fruitful coffee bursts into life.
Notes of nectarine and stewed apple flourish in the back of your palate and layer beautifully with the smooth finish.
The coffee then has a snap of green apple before cooling a little more into the sweet flavourful coffee.
The San Rafael has a long lasting aftertaste and creates an almost mint-like sensation in your mouth.
The coffee was enjoyed as a Pourover, an Aeropress, Cafetiere and Stovetop. For me the coffee worked really well in a cafetiere. The balance of the sweet fruity flavours alongside the extra body a cafetier provides made it the best way to brew.
