Valiente: Hydro Honey – El Salvador

Description

Mario Valiente is a long time direct trade partner with West Oak. Also lovingly called by the nickname “Don Cigarillo”, the Lord Cigarette and West Oak Coffee share a similar approach to life and career: we take work seriously, but don’t take ourselves seriously. At sundown, there’s nothing more satisfying than know you worked hard–put forth the best fruit you had to offer. If you can say that, having a good time comes easy because there’s no greater critic than ourselves!

Last year, he worked on a new way of drying coffee, a blend between natural and honey process. Whole coffee cherry is placed on drying beds and re-hydrated periodically to slow the drying process. Then the coffee is pulped (skins removed) and finished in the nature of the honey process (called honey due to the stickiness of the fruit after pulping). The result is sweet like a natural, and subtle like a honey processed coffee. We really enjoy the story and innovation behind these unique processes and will always support any effort looking to better the quality of coffee.

Cup score: 86