Honduras - Joel Gonzales

A beautiful, bright and sweet natural processed Geisha by Joel Gonzales from Las Vegas, Santa Bárbara, Honduras. Filter coffee:Sweet, silky and floral with notes of juicy peaches, black currants, white florals and sweet citrus Espresso:Bright and silky with mixed berries, stone fruits and fragrant florals Cappuccino:Velvety and delicate berry shortcake and citrus curd The Producer:Joel Gonzales is a true farmer at heart. He inherited lower-altitude farms from his father, where he grew conventional coffee, and over time built an exporting business for bananas sourced from local smallholders. In 2020, he took a bold step into specialty coffee, purchasing a high-altitude farm, Los Gatos, dedicated entirely to high-quality coffee. Los Gatos sits at 1,400 meters above sea level and is planted with 2 manzanas of Geisha and 1 manzana each of Parainema and Pacamara. The farm experiences cold, humid air that slows cherry maturation. In moderation, this stress pushes the plants to develop complexity, producing coffee with refined acidity and layered flavors—even at lower altitudes. Currently, all coffee from Los Gatos is dried in cherry in the village. Without a pulper or wet mill, Joel relies on solar drying, which takes about 20 days under Santa Barbara’s humid skies. A new wet mill is planned for the coming season, allowing washed processing, but Joel will also continue making natural and honey-processed coffees—the methods he has mastered. Last year, Joel expanded his vision with Los Pumas, a high-elevation farm at 1,650 meters above the community of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara. Named for the big cats that roam the nearby forest, Los Pumas offers multiple microclimates and excellent forest cover. Currently planted with Pacas and Catuai, Joel is introducing exotic varieties including Pink Bourbon from Arturo Paz and Geisha from Benjamin Paz’s La Salsa farm, working closely with San Vicente to realize the farm’s potential.