Our Coffee
Cultivé à haute altitude dans les montagnes.
OPTIMAL HARVEST
Traditional coffee farmers of the Copan highlands plant their coffee seeds in the early spring and harvest is spread out over the summer and early fall. Coffee cherries do not all mature at the same time, and a typical plant at harvest time will have both red (ripe) and green (unripe) cherries on the same branch.
It is thus necessary for farmers to be selective in what they harvest, and to return time and again to check for ripe cherries ready to be picked. To seek the highest quality in coffee beans, a wise coffee farmer will conduct at least three separate harvests of his crop in a season. Although this method of harvest may take more time and incur some additional cost, it considers the environment in which such quality can be grown. Experiencing the magnificent aroma and taste of full body blended mountain coffee, makes all the effort worthwhile.
SHADE GROWN
One of the tradition is growing coffee under shade. The natural canopy of the high mountain forest is perfect for regulating ground floor temparature and light penetration. These natural effects perfectly moderate the coffee bean’s maturation.
Mass producers typically clear-cut large areas of the tropical forests and to plant a variety of coffee that tolerate full sun. The practice is carried out only to achieve faster maturation and lower production costs resulting in quantity over quality and, environmental degradation. We at Pico Alto firmly believe in a high quality product and environmental consciousness. For this reason we purchase and encourage shade grown coffee. We can taste the difference, and we think you will as well.
Roasting
This is the process of transforming coffee from the green stage (the cleaned and dried seed of the coffee plant) to the drinkable stage. Heat is applied, the coffee turns brown, expands, dries out, and parts of it become soluble in water.
Pico Alto Coffee is roasted directly in Copan, Honduras using the highest-grade roasting equipment and technology, with a highly trained and passionate staff in each of the processes, thus ensuring the highest standards of quality and consistency in each coffee bean that is roasted.
GREENHOUSE BEANS DRYING
In order to increase efficiency and protect the coffee beans following the harvest, they are spread out on drying shelves and placed inside solar green houses for the purpose of drying the beans under direct sunlight. This method allows for a controlled humidity inside the green house, which helps to maintain the coffee beans optimal level of freshness prior to the roasting process.
Photo @ Pico
Where it all starts.