Los Laureles represents the work of approximately 30 producers in Santa Bárbara, Honduras.

Originally started as a small family organization in 2015, Los Laureles now boasts working relationships with some of the most esteemed smallholder producers in the region, counting nine Cup of Excellence winners among them. Swiss Water has been working with Los Laureles coffees for nearly a decade as blend components, and is excited to offer their coffee as an exclusive single origin selection to our European customers for the very first time.

Under the guidance of Los Laureles’ Arbey Mejia, Los Laureles’ growth in quality has been on a steady climb, with the organization currently focusing closely on producing limited but top-tier lots of Fairtrade Organic coffee each harvest. In the highly fertile Santa Barbara soils, Los Laureles farmers plant disease-resistant Parainema, Catuaí, Pacas, Geisha, and Bourbon coffees—typically adjacent to other coffee crops as well as complementary shade plants such as bananas and timber trees. Environmental stewardship has, too, been integral: coffee pulp is reincorporated back into farms via measures like vermicompost (worm compost) systems fed with coffee pulp, honey, and other organic waste from the farms and surrounding communities. The majority of Los Laureles’ producers use solar dryers, and water from the wet mill is recirculated with leftover diverted to vermiculture. Dry milling is completed at Beneficio San Vicente, known internationally as a leader in Honduran specialty coffee production.

The high quality of coffees from this area speaks for itself, but we’re happy to go on and on about the well-balanced and nuanced cup profiles we’ve tasted from Los Laureles—this lot is an elegant, slightly umami voyage through dark chocolate, citrus, nut, and herbaceous flavor notes. We’re certain it will delight—reach out today to learn more.