A Farm Older Than the Coffee Industry
High in the mountains of Santa Bárbara, western Honduras, sits a farm that has been in the same family for over 155 years. Finca Jerusalén isn't a corporate estate or a cooperative project — it's a family legacy, passed through generations of the Cuellar Fajardo family, each one refining the craft their parents taught them.
Today, Jose tends the farm with the same dedication his great-grandparents brought to these slopes in the 1870s. The methods have evolved — anaerobic fermentation tanks now sit alongside traditional drying beds — but the philosophy hasn't changed: grow the best coffee this land can produce, and never cut corners.
The Land
Finca Jerusalén sits at 1,300 to 1,600 metres above sea level, in the cloud forest belt where cool nights and warm days create the slow cherry maturation that specialty coffee demands. The soil is volcanic — rich in minerals, naturally fertile, and perfectly drained.
At this altitude, coffee cherries take longer to ripen. What might seem like a disadvantage is actually the foundation of quality: slower maturation means more time for sugars and acids to develop inside the cherry. The result is density, complexity, and sweetness that lower-altitude farms simply cannot match.
“The mountain decides the flavour. We just listen.”
The Harvest
Every cherry at Finca Jerusalén is picked by hand. There are no machines on these slopes — the terrain is too steep, the rows too narrow. Hand-picking means only ripe cherries are selected, which is critical for achieving SCA 90+ scores. A single unripe cherry in a lot can drag down the entire cupping score.
During harvest season, Jose and his team make multiple passes through the same rows over several weeks, picking only the cherries that have reached peak ripeness. It's slow, labour-intensive work, but there is no shortcut to quality at this level.
Two Processes, Two Coffees
From the same farm, Jose produces two distinct lots for SHOT Belfast. Jaguar is a Geisha variety processed through traditional washed fermentation — the cherry skin and mucilage are removed before drying, producing a clean, transparent cup that showcases the varietal's famous floral and citrus character.
Black Panther is a Parainema variety processed through anaerobic natural fermentation. The whole cherries are sealed in oxygen-free tanks for controlled fermentation, then dried intact on raised beds. This produces the bold tropical profile — pineapple, papaya, wild berry — that has made it one of the most talked-about coffees in Belfast.
Direct Trade, Not Fair Trade
Our relationship with Finca Jerusalén is direct. There are no brokers, importers, or middlemen between Jose's farm and our roastery. We pay well above fair trade minimums — not because a certification requires it, but because the quality demands it and the relationship deserves it.
Direct trade means transparency. We know exactly how much Jose receives for every kilogram. We know the working conditions, the environmental practices, the investment in processing equipment. When you buy a bag of SHOT Belfast, you're supporting a family that has dedicated over a century to growing exceptional coffee.
This isn't charity — it's partnership. Jose produces coffee that consistently scores 92 and 93 on the SCA scale. We bring it to Belfast and present it the way it deserves. Both sides benefit, and the quality speaks for itself.
The Future
Jose is already experimenting with new processing techniques and varietals. The next generation of the Cuellar Fajardo family is learning the craft. As SHOT Belfast grows, so does our commitment to this partnership — deeper roots, better coffee, and a story that's still being written.