Producer: Helsar de Zarcero
Region: Naranjo
Cultivar: Caturra, Catuai, and Villalobos
Elevation: 1200 - 1900 meters
Process: Washed, Pasteurized, Dehydrated
Size: 3 oz
Basic Brew Guide:
Use a ratio similar to coffee brewing. 15-18 grams of water to 1 gram of cascara
Steep with water just off boiling, around 200*F, for at least 4 minutes. Can be extended if desired.
Strain and enjoy.
Cascara can be rebrewed multiple times, but will be diminished in intensity. Sugar can also be added to adjust flavor.
Producer: Damaris Munoz
Region: Huila
Farm: La Esperanza
Elevation : 1350 meters
Variety: Pink Bourbon
Process: Honey
Notes: Birthday Cake, Poached Pear, Lemon Custard, Cantaloupe
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In November 2025, we returned to Colombia with Forest Coffee to continue our involvement in the Huila Condor Project, supporting over 96 independent women coffee producers across Pitalito and Timaná, Huila. This year’s visit focused on strengthening producer education, improving quality systems, and deepening direct relationships between producers and roasters through workshops and a live auction.
Throughout the year, producers participated in training around fermentation, drying, cupping, and quality evaluation, helping them continue to push the boundaries of processing and cup quality. The project remains grounded in transparency, traceability, and fair compensation, with producers receiving well above market rates alongside direct support to the women leading these farms.
A major highlight was the Huila Condor Auction, where producers presented micro-lots showcasing innovation and the diversity of coffee in the region. We cupped dozens of coffees spanning classic washed profiles to more experimental fermentation. This year, we purchased coffees from Omaira Mendez Herrera, Claudia Visitacion Burbano, Hilda Tovar Patino, Maria Belen Diaz, and Damaris Munoz, each offering excellent expressions of processing skills and terroir.
The Condor Project continues to be more than a quality initiative. In the face of climate pressures, rising costs, and generational challenges in coffee farming, it creates real opportunity for producers to build sustainable futures through specialty coffee.
Participating in the auction firsthand was especially meaningful. Seeing producers’ pride and gratitude as their coffees achieved exceptional prices was a powerful reminder of the impact of direct relationships and transparency. These coffees represent not only quality, but also resilience, opportunity, and collaboration in specialty coffee.
Great coffee doesn't always have time for a grinder, scale, and brewer. Our Helios Blend Instant Coffee delivers the same satisfying cup you know and love in a convenient travel-ready format.
Each package contains six single-serve sachets, with 5 grams of instant specialty coffee in every packet. Simply tear open a sachet, add 8–12 ounces of hot water, stir, and enjoy. Whether you're heading to the office, camping in the woods, catching an early flight, or just need a quick cup at home, Helios makes exceptional coffee fast and simple.
Crafted from a blend of Central American coffees, Helios offers a familiar and approachable flavor profile with notes of milk chocolate, roasted nuts, and bright citrus. Smooth, balanced, and easy to enjoy, it's the perfect everyday coffee, now available wherever your day takes you.
Producer: Anzueto Family Farms
Region: Huehuetenango
Elevation: 1700 Masl
Cultivar: Typica
Process: Washed
Notes: Black Forest Cake, Caramel Apple, Amaretto Fudge
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Finca Providencia was founded in 1937 and is managed by the third generation of the Anzueto family. We have been working with this coffee for 7 harvests and it never disappoints. It is one of the primary components of our Titan Espresso and Helios Blends. It's a truly balanced coffee that is representative of the amazing coffees produced in Huehuetenango.
For those who crave fruit-forward coffees, our Ethiopia Wush Wush Instant Coffee brings an unforgettable specialty coffee experience wherever you go.
Each package includes six single-serve sachets containing 5 grams of instant coffee. Simply add 8–12 ounces of hot water for an instant cup that captures the character and complexity of this remarkable lot. Shelf-stable and lightweight, it's ideal for travel, outdoor adventures, the office, or any moment when brewing equipment isn't an option.
Grown in Oromia and processed using an anaerobic natural method, this Wush Wush delivers an intensely expressive cup with ample fruit character and layered sweetness.
Region: Paraiso
Elevation: 1300 meters
Cultivar: Parainema
Process: Washed
Notes: French Toast, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, Chocolate Fudge, Orange Blossom Honey
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CafeUNO was born as an innovative collaboration between a non-profit organization and small cooperatives, with the goal of creating a more sustainable way to produce and market coffee. Today, it consists of 11 cooperatives and 158 dedicated producers who see specialty coffee and microlots as the most sustainable path forward.
At the center of this project is Williams Alexander Romero Gradiz, a fourth-generation farmer who has managed CafeUNO since 2016. With more than 26 years of experience growing coffee, Williams has guided members toward specialty production, training, and direct connections with buyers. He believes that differentiation and transparency are key to sustainability and under his leadership CafeUNO has built the infrastructure needed to improve quality, increase traceability, and expand access to specialty markets.
CafeUNO’s team includes seven employees who play vital roles in keeping quality consistent. Among them is Gisele, a certified Cinco Estrella cupper, whose work in evaluating coffees and improving cup scores ensures that each lot meets the high standards CafeUNO has become known for. The cooperative continues to innovate with washed, honey, and natural processes while supporting younger farmers through programs that encourage new generations to stay engaged in coffee production.
The lot we are offering this year is a curated blend of microlots from 10 to 12 farmers, chosen for their cup quality and flavor profile. This lot also showcases the Parainema coffee variety, which has become very successful with producers in Honduras for its productivity, resilience to pests and disease, and good cup quality. We have loved it so much that it has become a core component in our Helios and Titan blends; and now we are thrilled to showcase it as a standalone single-origin.
Looking ahead, CafeUNO has set ambitious goals for 2025, including increasing production by 15 percent, integrating 20 new young producers, and expanding differentiated lots with special processing. For us, this coffee represents more than flavor. It reflects a partnership rooted in transparency, innovation, and shared values. We are proud to grow alongside CafeUNO and the producers of Paraiso, and we are excited for you to taste the results of their dedication.
