Haiti Marre Blanc Central Plateau

Napolean Bonapart in 1803 lamented “Damn coffee! Damn colonies!” upon losing over 50,000 troops in a failed attempt to reestablish French dominance over Saint Domingue, after which the countries independence was proclaimed January 1, 1804 under the new name Haiti which is etymologically traced to the indigenous Taino language meaning “land of high mountains”. This crushed the French attempt to reestablish colonial ambitions and arguably provided the United States leverage in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.  Ironically, it was French Revolutionary fervor that inspired Toussaint Louverture’s generalship of the world’s sole victorious national slave revolute paving the road to freedom, the abolition of slavery and nationhood. Historically, with Columbus’ European discovery of December 6, 1492, Saint Domingue 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 and eastern two thirds as Spanish Santo Domingo.

Between European discovery and independence, Haiti was regarded as perhaps the most historically vile slave colony with an estimated 10:1 slave to colonist proportion. Unfortunately, the country has since been plagued by  political instability, international isolation, an 1821 costly failed invasion of the Dominican Republic, the 1825 French “150 million franc” extortion under threat of invasion resulting in dramatic international debt, the 1915-34 United States occupation, the 1957-86  “Papa” & ”Baby Doc” Duvalier authoritarian rule, the 2004 United Nations intervention,  a catastrophic earthquake, a deadly cholera outbreak, and dramatic hurricane/weather related disasters.  Although attempting to negotiate a democratic transition since the Duvalier authoritarian era, the country currently is considered a failed state due to assassination, political expulsion and mounting chaos.  Organized criminal gangs control a majority of the capital Port-au-Prince and, with United Nations personnel evacuating coupled to failed peacekeeping efforts, appear poised to control the entire country. Once coined by the French as “La Perle des Antilles”, translated “Pearl of the Antilles”, due to the islands natural beauty and abundant wealth, Haiti now is a shattered remnant. 

Although Haitian coffee’s future is unclear, we presently have a precious “pearl” in our Haiti Marre Blanc Central Plateau.  The Plateau Central, translated “Central Plateau”, runs southeast to northwest south of the Massif du Nord, translated Northern Mountain Range, coffee region approximately 120 miles north of the capital Por-au-Prince. Marre Blanc, translated “White Pool”, is a 400-member cooperative that cultivates our shade-grown, washed-processed beans at elevations between 4265-5250 feet in this region. “Shade-Grown” refers to coffee cultivated under a canopy of trees promoting natural pest control, lessened erosion, improved soil quality and greater resilience to climate change.  The delicious results are richer, more complex coffee profiles.  Shade-Grown is particularly rare in Haiti due to massive deforestation with only 30 percent total forest coverage in the country… a small but thankful blessing.   Our Marre Blanc Central Plateau’s balanced natural sweetness, smooth mouthfeel and soft floral acidity are bestowed due to this small blessing of terroir.  Sweet undertones of almond, much like marzipan, are present.  Nutty, buttery and sweet… how fortunate to experience this gift. The pearl is a rarity found at ocean depths, obscured by the mollusk hard exterior.  Our hope is that this troubled “Pearl of the Antilles” will surface and break free from it’s present hard realty to a bright horizon of possibility.

Process: Washed… removal of all cherry fruit with the bean dried

Elevation: 4265-5250 feet

Aroma: Nutty, slightly floral and sweet

Flavor: Sweet almond, like marzipan. Medium body, buttery with a soft, medium acidity

Roast: Medium, letting those sweet and nutty flavors shine