The bridge that has been built between Stumptown and El Puente has been one of encouragement, belief and admiration.

For 19 years now Stumptown Coffee has been purchasing from our partners at Finca El Puente, and this coffee is now a cornerstone of our menu. Stumptown was the first roaster to form a direct partnership with husband and wife team Moisés Herrera and Marysabel Caballero, and we’ve cherished our friendship with them ever since.

We are constantly impressed with this duo’s attention to detail when it comes to quality and farming practices. In turn, we are honored to be able to tell their story and showcase these coffees to our customers. For us, it’s a chance to extend the bridge and utilize the trust we’ve built with our customers as a pathway to something new and innovative. That bridge leads you to the beautiful coffees of Finca El Puente.

Honduras El Puente

A classic that keeps getting better and better.

Located in the renowned growing region of Marcala, Honduras, Moisés and Marysabel’s operation is a collection of farms — one of which, named Finca El Puente, produced the first lot of coffee we bought from them in 2004. Every year since, we’ve welcomed back their signature catuaí variety coffee to our cups with awe and delight. This fresh crop is no exception – expect notes of juicy plum, lemon zest and vanilla cream in this classic cup.

Honduras El Puente Natural Catuaí

It might be natural but it doesn’t come easy.

Harkening back to the way coffee was first processed, this offering is a perfect example of the labor of love that keeps a producer on their toes with a reward in flavor unlike anything else. It reminds us that coffee is a fruit, and there are more ways than one to experience it.
The natural process involves a complex intervention at the farm level, one which demands both constant attention and a lot more physical space for it to be achieved with success. In the natural process, the whole coffee cherry is left intact and set out straight away to dry in the sun after being harvested at its peak ripeness. This ultimately affects the coffee’s flavor because the coffee seed remains in contact with the fruit pulp longer.

After several years of experimenting, Moisés Herrera developed his protocol for natural process coffees in 2017, with a pinpointed focus on consistency and cleanliness in the cup. Freshly picked, ripe coffee cherries are first laid out to dry in a single layer on raised beds for one week. Then, lots are combined to continue drying slowly for two to three additional weeks, before the dried fruit and parchment are removed from the seed. With the cherries drying in a single layer and constantly being rotated, it helps to ensure that overfermentation is avoided, thus steering clear of any funky, undesirable characteristics in the end product. It’s a painstaking process that is a high risk reward if not given constant attention. Some might ask, “Why this much effort and time?” Well, for Moisés and Marysabel, it’s not only another way of presenting their amazing work to the world — it’s also a path that keeps daily innovation and passion alive and well on their farm.

We invite you to try Honduras El Puente Natural, the same catuaí variety as our classic washed lot with a completely different process and profile. Notes of berry jam and cacao nibs are balanced by refreshing tropical fruit and black tea in this complex cup.

Honduras El Puente Gesha

This precious coffee was worth the wait – and together we watched it grow.

As the story goes, in 2006 our founder made a surprise visit to Moisés and Marysabel with a handful of Gesha seeds in his pocket. Knowing these precious seeds would not make it back through customs in the airport, he decided they belonged with Moisés and Marysabel. Not only did they have the right growing conditions, altitude, and climate that this famously finicky variety needs to thrive — these producers had the dedication, curiosity, and attention to detail to master the variety. Together, they walked through the farm and picked out the most amazing place for Gesha to grow.

This was a defining moment, representing a belief that Stumptown would be part of a long lasting relationship with Finca El Puente. It was the exciting beginning of a long process, that held the glimmer of an opportunity to experience this exquisite variety together, and to further consumers’ access to what was, at the time, a whole new category of boutique coffee. But this moment — handing over the beans to Moisés and Marysabel — was the easy part. The real work started once cultivation began.

For many, Gesha is the most coveted coffee variety in the world. It is renowned for its quality, specifically relating to its unique sweetness and elegant floral notes. But it is very difficult to grow. It requires specific environmental factors, which Finca El Puente offers, but it is a very sensitive plant, susceptible to disease, that requires special attention year round. Also, the Gesha variety is a low yielding plant and must be harvested at just the right time. The constant attention needed to cultivate these plants is a complete labor of love, and this year’s offering lets us experience that passion firsthand. This Gesha from our friends and expert producer partners at Finca El Puente is an elegant and floral cup, overflowing with notes of sweet jasmine, citrus marmalade and fragrant vanilla.

The extremely limited Honduras El Puente Gesha will be available by pre-sale to all Stumptown coffee subscribers beginning 8/2, all others beginning 8/7.