Honduran Bryan Bautista: Natural Bourbon Apex

Bryan’s natural process Bourbon offers rich cocoa, hazelnut, and dried cherry notes, amplified beautifully by a syrupy, heavy body. With just enough sweetness and acidity to round this coffee out, the predominant experience is full-on chocolate loveliness; think chocolate chip coffees or a rich hot cocoa, with secondary notes of raisins, roasted nuts, and oak lending it depth. It's somewhat rare to find this level of roast in our Apex lineup–the theory being that heavy roast obscures the innate flavor and quality of the farmer’s hardwork–but here it serves to amplify those characteristics to achieve an overall impressive result.

A great gateway natural for those who might be used to a more traditional flavor profile, the fermented characteristic of Bryan’s coffee is mostly evident in the body and aftertaste. We are particularly excited to brew this with immersion techniques, as we found that the longer the grounds sit in water, the more flavor these beans impart, seemingly impervious to overextraction. Don’t be mistaken, although we’ve featured Bryan’s natural several years in a row now, and certainly hope to do so next year as well, this lot is a particularly solid offering from a reliable, young star producer.

Meet the Producer

“My name is Bryan Adolfo Bautista Zelaya. I was born on October 29, 1994, in Marcala, La Paz. I am the third generation of coffee farmers in my family.”

Bryan comes from a long legacy of coffee growing. His grandparents and father produced coffee for more than 40 years, and from a young age, Bryan was immersed in the process—working alongside his parents and learning how to improve and transform their efforts into something lasting.

The name of his farm, Finca Adolfo’s, honors three generations of Bautistas—his grandfather, father, and himself—who all share the name Adolfo.

Located in the community of Musula at 1,540 meters above sea level, Finca Adolfo’s has been in the family for over 50 years. When Bryan graduated from university, his parents entrusted him with the farm as a way to generate his own income. At the time, it only produced the Lempira variety, but Bryan has since diversified the farm to include Yellow and Red Catuai, Yellow and Red Bourbon, Pacamara, Parainema, Gesha, and Lempira.

Today, the farm includes 15 productive manzanas (about 11 hectares) and 1 manzana of preserved forest that protects a natural water spring.

Bryan processes coffee using washed, honeyed, and natural methods, and has begun experimenting with anaerobic fermentation to push quality even further.