Finca El Puente Batian

A Kenyan variety, grown in a Honduran forest.

Batian is a Kenyan cultivar — but this one was grown by Marysabel Caballero and Moises Herrera at Finca el Puente in Chinacla, La Paz, Honduras. This lot, which they call La Laguna, was planted inside an existing patch of forest around a small lagoon, inspired by Tim's own Finca el Suelo project in Colombia. The trees get only compost — no fungicides or synthetic fertiliser — and now form part of a biological-farming trial.

Tasting notes: Red fruits · plum · floral.

The variety

Batian was developed at the coffee research institute in Ruiru, Kenya and released in 2010 as a hardier alternative to the classic SL28 and SL34, drawing on parents including SL28, SL34, Rume Sudan and the Timor Hybrid. Grown in Honduras it tastes nothing like a Kenyan coffee — expect a violet-like floral note with red fruit and plum.

How it's grown & processed

Hand-picked and sorted for ripeness, de-pulped, fermented overnight, washed in a sorting channel and dried slowly on shaded beds near Marcala. From young trees, so there is likely even more to come in future harvests.

Brew it

Filter. 60–70g per litre. Grind fresh.

Roasted in Oslo by Tim Wendelboe, imported fresh by Bean Shipper · ships within a week · whole bean, 100% specialty arabica, best 2–3 weeks after roast.