About this Coffee
A returning favorite, Juan Benitez’s coffee is characterized by tropical fruit and citrus—bright notes of starfruit pair with lime and the sweet textures of honey to create a balanced cup.
The Benitez Family was originally from Southern Honduras, moving to the Santa Barbara region in 1980. It wasn’t until 1984 that Juan bought the land that is now his farm, but he did not start farming coffee until 1998.
Today, in this Santa Barbara mountainside community, Juan Benitez owns six manzanas of land, where he grows typica, bourbon, pacas, and catimor. A manzana is used as a measurement of land that is equal to about 1.72 acres. With such a volume of land and varieties growing on it, if you are ever looking for Juan Benitez, just look for his signature cowboy hat and the sound of singing coming from the fields. As he walks between rows of cherries, at least one of his six grandchildren are trailing right behind him.
During our recent visit to the farm, our Green Coffee Buyer Kylee Clancy asked Juan what his goals are for this year. With a smile he said that despite the struggles that this harvest season has brought, his main goal is to find a new cowboy hat.