Representing Royal Coffee NY, Phil hosted a class I attended on "Buying the Whole Mountain," that gave a really great overview on how his company sources and purchases micro-lot coffees. He also shed some light on the subject of high-grown coffees, and how altitude contributes to a lot's quality and value in the global market. Standards vary among importers, but for the purposes of Royal Coffee's buying team, a micro-lot coffee meets the following criteria: it typically amounts to no more than 11,250 pounds, and was harvested from one specific plot on a farm. It qualifies as a "strictly high-grown" (SHG) coffee, meaning it grows at an altitude of at least 1200 meters above sea level. The coffee also must be fully traceable, from the farm that produced it to the processing methods involved to the specific varietals that comprise the lot, to economic transparency every step of the way.

At the end of the class, we cupped three Honduran coffees, all exported by San Vicente and grown in the Santa Barbara region on different lots and at varying altitudes. It was fascinating to experience the difference between the SHG micro-lot (which happened to be Adolfo Reyes' Los Portillos coffee,grown at 1530 m, and roasted by New Harvest) and the more standard high-grown (HG) coffee, which came from an altitude between 700 and 1200 m. As Phil had explained, the SHG beans have a denser and more complex cell structure than the HG coffees, which directly influences their flavor profiles, in the most delightful way, let me tell you! While slurping the SHG Los Portillos, I detected a concentrated sweetness with a lively citrus acidity. The HG coffee, though still tasty, was not as sweet, had a slightly grittier body, and lacked the exciting brightness of its SHG cousin. Thanks so much Phil, and to your family at Royal, and especially to Adolfo Reyes and Benjamin Paz Munoz for teaching me so much last weekend! Here are some cupping photos for your enjoyment.