Coffee Released 10/3/2023
Marcala, Honduras - Washed - Anacafe 14
Montgomery Melghem, Finca San Pablo
Coffee is the economic engine in Marcala, and it’s in part thanks to Café Organico de Marcala Sociedad Anonima (COMSA), a 1,000+ member co-op which permeates all aspects of coffee in this region of Honduras. COMSA is driven by the pillars of organic farming which they dutifully pass on to their members and showcase at their organic/biodynamic farms, with labs that create all sorts of sustainable and natural inputs which the producers have access to. Montgomery Melghem is one of those producers, he joined COMSA back in 2007 and has not only gained knowledge and experience in sustainable farming & coffee processing but has also been able to work directly with foreign buyers, such as in this instance with us.
What's in the cup
Montgomery is a third-generation coffee producer and his farm, Finca San Pablo was founded by his grandfather back in 1915. Montgomery’s coffees are clean and balanced, silky, with just the right amount of acidity. Representative of their land, a property with hills, water sources, and multiple micro-climates. The ripest cherries are picked from the different areas of the property and brought down to the main house, a 100+ year old building which has been in movies and was once awarded by the government for their aguardiente (one of the national spirits). The coffee is then dried in the patio, both on concrete and in small greenhouses around the house. The family also has their own line of roasted coffee which they sell locally. Montgomery wrote the book on coffee in Marcala, it is a great, in-depth look at coffee not only in Honduras but in the whole of Central America. Our trip coincided with a coffee fair in town where Montgomery was a speaker and we were able to score a signed copy for the shop. Everywhere we went in Marcala and the neighboring districts we were asked about our accommodations and every time we mentioned Montgomery, his name was received with nothing but praise and respect. The fact that we connected with him by pure chance is serendipitous but being able to buy coffee from Montgomery and share it with you is the reason we created Palma.
ORIGIN INFORMATION Contents: Organic Freshly Roasted Whole Bean Coffee Producer: Montgomery Melghem Origin: Finca San Pablo, Marcala, Honduras Elevation/Altitude: 1450 MASL Plant Species: Arabica Variety/Cultivars: Anacafe14 Process: Washed