We’re super excited to bring you this absolute gem of a coffee from Honduras! This is one of those coffees that reminds us why we love doing what we do! It’s vibrant, fruity and most importantly, community focused. An incredibly cool coffee through and through!
The Cup
☕ Tasting Notes: apple and sweet cherry, with delicate hints of orange and peach
📍 Origin: Las Capucas, Copán, Honduras
🧼 Process: Washed
🌱 Altitude: 1450–1600 masl.
🌾 Varietal: Catuai
✅ Farm Certifications: Fairtrade, Organic, Rainforest Alliance
(Note: while the farm holds all three certifications, our roasted coffee isn’t sold as triple-certified due to export regulations—but we’re still proud to share the farm’s credentials!)
=> Grab a bag here <=
or pop into one of our Cardiff shops to pick one up off the shelf
By buying these beans you’re supporting not just a family run business but also a thriving co-op that’s doing incredible things in their community.
The Cooperative - Cooperativa Cafetalera Capucas Limitada (COCAFCAL)
COCAFCAL is more than just a cooperative - it’s a community powerhouse.
Founded in 1999 by José Omar Rodríguez, the Capucas co-op is located around Celaque Mountain, the highest peak in Honduras. “Celaque” means “box of water” in the local Lenca language, and this region is rich with rivers, biodiversity, and of course - excellent coffee-growing conditions.
But the Capucas story actually starts much earlier. Back in 1885, Atanacio Rodolfo Romero began farming in Las Capucas, mostly tobacco with a small amount of coffee for family use. Fast forward a few generations, and his grandson—after learning about specialty coffee production in Costa Rica—made the crucial decision to shift the focus to coffee. This was the beginning of what would become one of the most respected coffee communities in Honduras.
=> Find out more about the cooperative here <=
Community at heart
When José Omar, great-grandson of Atanacio Rodolfo Romero, founded the cooperative in 1999, he did so with a vision: to share his knowledge and build something that would benefit the whole community. He believed that the best way forward was together—and so he founded the Cooperativa Cafetalera Capucas Limitada (COCAFCAL).
When Capucas was first founded, it only had 55 members. Today, the co-op has grown to over 700 active members across 12 rural communities in the Copán region.
The cooperative is committed to social responsibility, sustainability, and education. They consistently prove that producing world-class coffee can go hand-in-hand with improving lives.
Some of Capucas’ community initiatives are:
- 🎓 University Access: In 2016, they partnered with the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) to open a virtual classroom in rural San Pedro, giving young people access to higher education without needing to leave their village.
- ⚽ Football Academy: Designed to educate and empower young people through sport. It is completely free for cooperative members and their families.
- 💻 Virtual Library + Computer Lab: Providing digital literacy and internet access in a region where both are hard to come by.
- 🏥 Health Clinic: GP service open Monday to Friday, offering free healthcare to workers and their families. The clinic also sends out mobile medical brigades to surrounding communities.
- ☀️ Environmental Innovation: Capucas was the first cooperative in Honduras to implement solar dryers for coffee on a large scale—an environmentally-friendly method that protects cup quality while reducing emissions.
The farming
The coffee at Capucas is grown under the shade of various trees (gravelia, cedar, liquidambar, and citrus trees). The shade of the trees doesn’t just protect the coffee - it helps preserve biodiversity and reduce the need for chemical inputs.
The cherries are carefully picked at peak ripeness, then washed, dried in solar dryers, and stored in parchment before being transported to Puerto Cortés for export.
FUN FACT: to make harvesting easier, farmers gradually prune the trees shorter each year - from 180cm down to 150cm - so that the trunks remain strong and healthy even after years of cutting.
What’s the deal with Central American coffees?
Central American coffees are known for their balance between body and acidity, often with smooth sweetness, with chocolatey and buttery notes.
Coffees from Honduras in particular are incredibly diverse depending on the region. This lot from Copan has a fruity and crisp brightness that we love, with notes of apple, sweet cherry and delicate hints of orange and peach.
This coffee will shine the most as a filter brew - we highly recommend it as a V60 or from an Aeropress.
=> Looking to explore more? Check out our Central American lineup <=
Grab a bag online or pop into one of our Cardiff shops to pick one up off the shelf. By buying these beans you’re supporting not just a family run business but also a thriving co-op that’s doing incredible things in their community.
Let’s drink to that. ☕
