This coffee is produced by Jeimy Aguilar, a young third-generation coffee farmer in Intibucá, Honduras. The two-hectare farm, El Guyabo, sits at 1,750-1,800 meters altitude and primarily cultivates Typica variety. This lot is a separation of Typica harvested in May 2025. The coffee is processed using a double fermentation method: cherries are picked at peak ripeness and fermented for 65 hours in bags, then depulped and fermented again for 35 hours in sealed bags and tiled tanks. After rinsing, the seeds are dried on raised beds in a solar dryer for 25-30 days. The flavor profile features notes of plum and grape layered with sweet spices reminiscent of sticky toffee pudding, expressing the characteristic dark berries, purple fruits, and delicate florals typical of the Typica variety.
Rebecca Grossman and Lucas Smith founded Ilse in 2019, starting with a thousand dollars and a rented roaster in Stamford before building out their own facility in a converted mechanic's garage in North Canaan. The approach is quality-driven: light roasts, single-producer microlots, and a commitment to buying entire harvests from the same farms year after year, some relationships now stretch back to the beginning. Pricing is transparent; each bag lists what the producer was paid, the FOB price, and Ilse's cost. Sourcing focuses on Central and South America and East Africa, with Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia, and Ethiopia appearing regularly.
