Clementino Ramirez - Honduras

Origin: Honduras

Region: Selguapa, Montecillos

Producer: Clementino Ramírez

Farm: Family farm in Selguapa

Roastery: Swerl Coffee Roasters

Type: Single Origin

Process: Washed – 96 hours fermentation

Variety: Typica / Bourbon

Altitude: 1,700 meters above sea level

Soil: Unknown

Flavor profile: Juicy and bright – orange blossom, guava, and red apple with fresh acidity and silky body

Brewing recommendation: Hand filter (V60, Kalita), Chemex, light batch brewing

Packaging: Whole beans

Roasted for: Filter

This is the first time Swerl Coffee Roasters buys coffee from Clementino Ramírez – a grower with a long and complex journey behind him. Clementino was one of the very first coffee farmers in Selguapa, a small village high up in the Montecillos mountains in Honduras. The family began growing coffee already in the 1980s, but for many years the coffee was sold through traditional middlemen at very low prices.

When Semilla began its work in Honduras in 2019, Clementino was one of the first growers they came into contact with. The path into the specialty coffee market went through Clementino’s son-in-law Jesús Galeas, a former field technician at IHCAFE, who contributed knowledge in selective harvesting, fermentation, and drying. It quickly became clear that the farm’s old Typica and Bourbon trees had great potential.

Despite quality improvements, the financial situation was long very difficult. Low prices and uncertain payments forced Clementino and his son to migrate to the United States to pay off debts. For nearly five years, Clementino worked in Seattle, sent home most of his income, and eventually enabled both debt relief and the purchase of additional land.

At the beginning of 2024, Clementino returned to Honduras to work side by side with his family during the harvest. Today he is a respected person in the region and an important link in Semilla’s project *Sueños de Semilla*, which now includes about 25 small-scale growers – many of whom export their coffee for the very first time.

1. Origin & producer

The coffee is grown by Clementino Ramírez in Selguapa, Honduras, at 1,700 meters elevation. The high altitude and the older Typica and Bourbon varieties contribute to complex acidity and elegant structure.

2. Process

The coffee undergoes an extended washed process with about 96 hours of fermentation. This controlled fermentation provides extra juiciness, clear aroma, and a soft, silky mouthfeel.

3. Brewing

Roasted for filter brewing. Excellent for V60, Kalita, and Chemex, where the coffee’s floral notes, guava sweetness, and bright acidity are fully expressed.