Dominican Republic Organic Ramirez Red Honey Jarabacoa

Historically, with Columbus’ European discovery of December 6, 1492, Santo Domingo was not yet partitioned from the entire island initially proclaimed as Hispaniola, translated “The Spanish Island”. As the Spanish became more enamored with Central and South America, they largely abandoned the islands western third allowing the French to gain a foothold resulting in hostilities that were resolved in the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick with the division of Hispaniola’s western third as French Saint Domingue, now Haiti, and eastern two thirds as Spanish Santo Domingo, now the Dominican Republic.

The historical relationship between the two is marked by war and attempted domination of one over the other.  The current relationship is a tense acknowledgement of the others sovereignty along with stealthy, yet undeniable, interdependence. A complicated relationship to say the least. 870 miles southwest of Key West, due east of Cuba, due east of Puerto Rico and 588 miles due north of Caracas Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, at approximately the combined size of New Hampshire and Rhode Island, is the largest Caribbean and seventh largest Latin American economy. Haiti is considered the poorest in the Western Hemisphere… What could possibly be the difference? A 2007 International Monetary Fund working paper concludes, although Haiti was trailing the Dominican Republic, that geographical and historical institutions prior to 1960 had little statistical influence. Although early French exploitive colonization practices of and recent natural disasters in Haiti undeniably added to instability, it appears that the most recent geopolitical Haitian institutional and environmental decisions have been devastating. Either way, there has been a definite winner and a definite loser.

Amid both prosperity and melancholy, both countries cultivate the most delicious of coffee… we are fortunate.

Our Organic Ramirez Red Honey Jarabacoa origin is from the Juncalito’s Jarabacoa coffee region centered on the town of Jarabacoa, approximately 95 miles northwest from the capital Santo Domingo and 34 miles southeast of Santiago.  The third generation, large 400 employee, Ramirez Estate sources the bean from a micro-lot at 4593 feet. As a honey-processed bean, the skins of the fruit are removed, but the pulp, or mucilage, remains on the bean during fermentation which promotes a sticky-sweet sensation while developing fruity notes. The longer the mucilage ferments on the bean, the sweeter the cup and darker the fruit. Traditionally, the Dominican Republic exports only 20 percent of their coffee resulting in admirable domestic consumption but a higher probability of lower quality exports… the Dominicans drink all the good stuff. We are fortunate for the Ramirez family’s diligence in providing us with an excellent cup. The honey-process delivers… a sweet buttery vanilla with lingering nuttiness… aroma of ripe fruit nodding to rich stone fruit flavor. Delightfully complex but balanced with satisfying sweetness… this is a keeper. The tale of two countries… the confluence of past and present determine the fate of Nations… external factors and incremental decisions establish direction that cannot be read in the “tea leaves”. The contrast is so palpable… the fortunes of the Dominicans and current tragedy of the Haitians. The natural promise eulogized in the prize of coffee from both… may the abundance be incarnate and transcend this islands humanity as well as our own universal connectivity to this bounty.

Process: Honey-process, fruit skin removed with pulp, or mucilage, remaining and allowed to ferment 18 hours… longer fermentation results in sweeter, darker, fruiter cup

Elevation: 4593 feet