Some coffees make it onto our menu because of the relationships we've built with their producers over the years. These are coffees we follow season after season because they represent a way of working with origin that we deeply believe in.

This year, we've put together a pack that brings together two of them. And we've decided to dedicate a blog post to them so you can learn their full story.

Two exceptional Geishas from Santa Bárbara, Honduras, produced by Benjamín Paz and Arturo Paz, two fundamental names for understanding the evolution of specialty coffee in the region.

On the one hand, the Geisha from Finca La Salsa, one of those coffees we have worked with on several occasions and always look forward to cupping again. Winner of the Cup Of Excellence. A lot that stands out thanks to its elegance, consistency, and ability to express the full potential of Santa Bárbara.

On the other, Arturo Paz's new Natural DR Geisha, a completely novel offering born from an experimental process developed with Benjamín Paz, and making its debut on our menu.

Two distinct ways of understanding a Geisha that, together, offer an extraordinarily complete vision of what is currently happening in Santa Bárbara.

 

Santa Bárbara: a unique region

In recent years, Santa Bárbara has consolidated its position as one of Honduras' most renowned coffee-growing regions.

The combination of altitude, volcanic soils, the climatic influence of Lake Yojoa, and the surrounding forests creates exceptional conditions for coffee cultivation. The slow maturation of the cherries allows for the development of complex profiles, full of nuances and with a clarity difficult to find elsewhere.

It is here that Benjamín Paz and Arturo Paz work.

Two producers united by family ties, but also by a constant pursuit of excellence.

Benjamín Paz and Finca La Salsa

We have been working directly with Benjamín since 2022.

His name has become a benchmark in specialty coffee thanks to a career marked by innovation, origin-based work, and a deep understanding of his terroir. It's no surprise that he has won the prestigious Cup of Excellence competition twice.

The Geisha from Finca La Salsa perfectly represents his philosophy.

It is an elegant and delicate washed Geisha, where floral and citrus notes are expressed with enormous clarity. In the cup, we find nuances of butter, jasmine, melon, and white tea, accompanied by a silky texture and a great sense of cleanliness.

A coffee that stands out for its precision, transparency, and balance.

This is not the first time this coffee has been part of our menu. In fact, it is one of those lots we eagerly await each harvest. Its consistency over the years and Benjamín's ability to maintain an exceptional level ensure it remains a benchmark within our selection from Honduras.

 

Arturo Paz and the search for new paths

If there's one thing that characterizes Santa Bárbara, it's the restless curiosity of its producers to keep learning.

Arturo Paz shares that vision.

His Natural DR (Dark Room) Geisha is born from an experimental process developed with Benjamín, in which the cherries are dried for approximately 55 days in a carefully controlled dark room.

The goal is to slow down drying and encourage a different evolution of the coffee's aromatic compounds.

The Natural DR Geisha also represents an absolute novelty for us.

It is the result of an experimental drying process that seeks to develop a different expression of the Geisha variety without losing the identity of its origin.

The result is a complex and profound cup, with floral and citrus aromas reminiscent of jasmine and bergamot, accompanied by notes of orange, peach, and white tea. A vibrant, expressive, and surprisingly balanced profile.

An example of how innovation can coexist with respect for origin and variety.

 

 

When two great coffees meet

Both Benjamín and Arturo are part of a generation of producers who have placed Santa Bárbara among the most interesting regions in today's coffee scene.

Their coffees have been attracting the interest of roasters and competitors worldwide for years, and this harvest has been no exception.

The coexistence of a classic from our menu and one of the season's most interesting novelties was precisely what caught the attention of the Right Side team in relation to Julieta's preparation for the Spanish Brewers Cup Championship.

On the one hand, the transparency, elegance, and precision of La Salsa.

On the other, the complexity, depth, and experimental character of the Natural DR Geisha.

This complementarity led us to select both coffees to build the competition proposal.

Two producers, two visions, one region

Beyond the competition, this pack is an invitation to explore the work of two producers who share territory, family history, and a constant pursuit of quality.

Two coffees born in Santa Bárbara that show how small decisions in farm and processing can completely transform the expression of the same variety.

Perhaps that is the most fascinating part of this pack: understanding how each one tells a different story.

Discover the Geisha Competition Pack via this link, or find the two coffees separately in our store by clicking here.