What is Montecillos Bourbon Natural?
A single-farm Honduran Bourbon, dried in the cherry and roasted where it grew.
This is the most expressive coffee in Spirit Origin's core range. It comes from Finca Montecillos in Marcala, in the La Paz department of Honduras, at 1,600 metres (5,250 ft), and it is farmed by Yuliana Hernandez. The variety is Bourbon, one of the classic arabica lines, and it is processed natural. Spirit Origin roasts it medium and lists notes of cacao, tropical fruit, white wine and hazelnut. It gives the coffee a cup score of 89 out of 100.
It is sold whole bean or ground, in a single 340 g bag or packs of three and six.
What natural process does to the cup
The fruit stays on the seed while it dries, and you can usually taste it.
A natural coffee is dried whole, in the cherry, before the seed is taken out. A washed coffee has the fruit removed first. Drying with the fruit on tends to give a heavier body and the fruity, sometimes winey notes that Spirit Origin's description leans on: tropical fruit and white wine sit next to cacao and hazelnut here. Done badly, a natural tastes fermented. Done well, it is sweet and round. Bourbon at this altitude is a variety known for sweetness, which is what you want under a natural process.
The farmer matters too. Spirit Origin says Yuliana Hernandez uses sustainable farming methods, and the coffee's lab tests cover mycotoxins, pesticides and herbicides including glyphosate.
Roasted in Honduras, not abroad
Most coffee is shipped green and roasted in the country that drinks it. This one is not.
Spirit Origin roasts on a Probat at its roastery on Roatan, in Honduras's Bay Islands, a few days from the farms. The coffee is grown, processed, roasted and packed in the same country, which the company says keeps 92% of the revenue in Honduras rather than with an importer and a foreign roaster. The bags are nitrogen sealed, high barrier and fitted with a one-way degassing valve, and the packaging is certified home compostable under TUV OK Compost HOME. Every lot is tested by a third party for mycotoxins, pesticides and herbicides.
The schedule matters for freshness. Spirit Origin roasts weekly, rests the coffee, and dispatches on Tuesdays, and says most orders arrive in 3 to 11 business days. It does not say a roast date is printed on the bag, so you are relying on that weekly schedule rather than a date you can check. Our guide to storing coffee beans covers what to do once the bag is open.
Price, and what a cup costs
The dearest of the three core bags, with a real saving in the packs.
| Bag | Price | Per kilo | Per cup (15 g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 340 g (12 oz) | $36.00 | $105.88 | $1.59 |
| 3 x 340 g | $97.20 | $95.29 | $1.43 |
| 6 x 340 g | $172.80 | $84.71 | $1.27 |
Shipping inside the United States is a flat $8.99, and free on orders over $75. That makes the single bag dearer than it looks: one bag plus shipping is the price of the bag and nearly nine dollars more. International orders are priced by DHL at checkout. Subscribe and save takes 20% off each bag, and you can skip, pause or cancel at any time.
A three-pack crosses the $75 free shipping line on its own, which a single bag never does, so for anyone who already likes the coffee the pack is the sensible way to buy it.
Bourbon Natural vs Catuai Washed
Same farm, same farmer, same altitude, different variety and process.
The Montecillos Catuai Washed grows on the same farm and costs $10 less. Washed, it is the cleaner, brighter cup: Spirit Origin lists citrus honey, sweet fruit and floral notes, and scores it 87. The Bourbon Natural is the heavier, fruitier coffee and scores two points higher by the roaster's own measure. Buy both and you taste what processing alone does to one farm's coffee, which is a better lesson than any article.
Bourbon Natural vs Intelligentsia Honduras La Tortuga Geisha
Two single-farm Honduran coffees at the top end of the price range.
The Intelligentsia Honduras La Tortuga Geisha is the other Honduran single origin we cover at this money, at $30 a bag and from $91.27 a kilo. Geisha is a rarer, more floral variety. The Montecillos Bourbon is the natural, fruit-and-cacao alternative, and the one roasted in Honduras rather than in Chicago.
How to brew it
A natural rewards filter brewing that lets the fruit through.
Spirit Origin roasts this for filter. A paper-filter pour-over keeps the cup clean and lets the fruit notes show; a French press keeps the body a natural is known for. Start around 1 gram of coffee to 16 of water and adjust from there, as our coffee to water ratio guide explains. If the cup tastes sour or thin, grind a little finer.
Is it worth it?
For a fruit-forward, fully traceable Honduran coffee, yes; for everyday value, no.
You pay specialty prices for a coffee whose farm, farmer, variety, process and altitude are all on the page, roasted where it grew and tested for contaminants. That is the offer. A cheaper coffee will not tell you any of it.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Buy it if
- You like fruity, winey natural coffees.
- You want to know exactly who grew it and where.
- You brew filter: pour-over, drip or French press.
Skip it if
- You prefer a clean, bright cup; take the Catuai Washed.
- You want espresso; take the Honduran Espresso Blend.
- You want a roast date on the bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who grows Montecillos Bourbon Natural?
Yuliana Hernandez, at Finca Montecillos in Marcala, La Paz, Honduras, at 1,600 metres.
What does it taste like?
Spirit Origin lists cacao, tropical fruit, white wine and hazelnut. As a natural, expect more body and fruit than a washed coffee.
How much does it cost?
$36 for 340 g, $97.20 for three bags and $172.80 for six, plus $8.99 US shipping under $75.
Is it whole bean or ground?
Either. You choose at checkout; whole bean stays fresh longer if you have a grinder.
