El Urraco

ABOUT

On our visit to Honduras earlier this year, we had the pleasure of catching up with the Fernandez family. Although Jamie has been working with them for quite some time, 2023 was the first year El Urraco appeared in our line-up.

Classic in many ways, Javier’s approach resonates with us: focusing on fundamentals to bring out the region’s terroir. His process is consistent across all coffees—cherries are delivered and de-pulped the same day, with no in-cherry resting or fermentation. The parchment ferments in tanks for approximately 18 hours before being washed. Although a washed process, a thin layer of mucilage is left for drying, giving the coffee a “white honey” character that influences the distinct juiciness we associate with El Urraco. Drying begins on raised beds in covered houses and then finishes in the sun on tarps over the concrete patio, removing the final 2–3% of moisture.

This is also an exciting time for Javier’s business. Alongside expanding his coffee plantations, he plans to rebuild most of his drying houses and the wet mill, much of which is wooden and nearing collapse. The new structures will feature sturdier metal beds and a rebuilt ceiling between the cherry intake, de-pulper, and fermentation tanks. These investments are expected to significantly enhance the drying quality of the 2026 harvest, and we can’t wait to see this coffee go from great to even greater.