Alma Pineda Natural is one of four coffees Alma produced in partnership with Metric to explore the effects of post-harvest processing on flavor experience. Each coffee is the same harvest of the same varietal from the same farm, then processed one of four ways. In this Natural, we love its bittersweet citrus freshness, deep amaro notes, and dark sugar sweetness. The varietal for this special project is one common in Honduras – parainema. Originally planted for its high yield at harvest, it stepped into its own as a sought after specialty variety when it won the 2017 Honduras Cup of Excellence. On Alma's farm in El Cedral, the large parainema cherries ripen slowly until they are hand picked. For this portion of the lot, the cherry underwent natural processing. In natural processing, the entire fruit is left on the cherry as it dries. It is removed from the seed only once completely dry, imbuing fruit sugars throughout the process. The result of natural processing is a bold coffee with loud flavors and playful acidity, with the primary flavor expression being that of its processing instead of the terroir or varietal. In Alma Pineda Natural, we taste citron, amaro, and molasses.