Overview
This is a minimal intervention natural coffee from Ocotepeque, Honduras, produced by Moises Hidardo Hernández on his farm Finca Cascaritas.
The flavor profile is creamy, sweet, and clean, with tasting notes of blackberry fields, tamarind, cinnamon, and orange.
Our roasters recommend keeping the momentum into Maillard and improving control later in the roast.
When brewed, we preferred a moderate-to-high dose to maintain the full body, a medium-fine grind, and a conical brewer to preserve some of the clarity and brightness of the ever-present jammy fruit.
Brew Analysis by Alisha Rajan
Mysterious and enigmatic, Hidardo Hernandez’s unique natural process offering has captivated our hearts and palates here at the Crown. The ethereal quality of florals woven intricately through a bed of jammy fig and chardonnay was an absolutely delightful introduction to my first Parainema tasting.
I began the brew analysis with a standard recipe of an 18.0 dose, EKS43 grind 9, brewed in 3 minutes and 17 seconds for an extraction percentage of 19.48%. Brown sugar and toasty caramel mingled with plum and dried apricot for a very pleasant first brew. I was curious about a more immersion style brew, so decided to replicate the exact recipe on the Kalita Wave. This brew was syrupy and sweet, yet did not have the cleanest finish. I enjoyed the clarity of the previous V60 brew slightly more, so decided to finish the rest of the brew analysis with the V60.
Upon bringing the grind down to 8.5 and maintaining the dose at 18.0 grams, I came across
a supremely jammy brew with hints of orange peel, nougat, black cherry, and cocoa. With an extraction percentage of 19.65% and a perfect velvety mouthfeel, I enjoyed this one thoroughly.
Another iteration of this coffee sees the dose increased significantly to 19.5g, EKS43 grind 9, brewed in exactly 3 minutes with an extraction percentage of 20.16%. This one was predictably syrupy, yet presented with a certain softness around the edges and hidden in its many layers. The depth of red wine and cherry coalescing with toffee and black tea was almost ineffable in its complexity.
Overall, I recommend a moderate to high dose to maintain the full body, a medium-fine grind, and a conical brewer to preserve some of the clarity and brightness of the ever-present jammy fruit. Vivacious and sophisticated in its presentation, this one is truly unforgettable. Enjoy!
