The Moonrest offering represents the collective dedication of 1,573 smallholder farmers within Café Orgánico Marcala (COMSA), a cooperative founded in 2000 when 62 Honduran families united with a singular vision: transform their farms from conventional to certified organic production while maintaining direct control over their coffee's destiny.
Marcala, nestled in the La Paz department between 1,300 and 1,700 meters above sea level, holds the distinction of Central America's first protected Denomination of Origin for coffee. The region's volcanic soils, consistent cloud cover, and temperature fluctuations between day and night create conditions that develop the complex sugars and balanced acidity characteristic of high-altitude Honduran coffee. COMSA's farmers—25% of whom are women—cultivate heritage Typica alongside disease-resistant Castillo on small plots averaging 3.7 hectares, where shade trees and organic composting practices have restored soil health over twenty-five years of sustainable cultivation.
The cooperative's philosophy, "Finca Humana" (The Human Farm), extends beyond agricultural practice into education and community development. Their La Fortaleza experimental farm hosts weekly seminars where farmers share knowledge about the "5 Ms"—organic Material, Microorganisms, Minerals, living Molecules, and Gray Matter—creating a living curriculum that has transformed Marcala into a model for regenerative coffee agriculture.
Following harvest, the washed coffee embarks on a 10-hour journey to Swiss Water's Vancouver facility, where the proprietary decaffeination process begins. Green beans are first gently hydrated, expanding their cellular structure to prepare for caffeine extraction. Immersed in Green Coffee Extract—water saturated with all of coffee's soluble compounds except caffeine—the beans release their caffeine through osmosis while retaining the flavor precursors that distinguish this terroir. Carbon filters engineered with pores precisely the size of caffeine molecules trap the stimulant while allowing everything else to pass through. The process repeats in cycles until the coffee reaches 99.9% caffeine-free, then beans are carefully re-dried to optimal 10.2% moisture content, preserving the origin characteristics COMSA's farmers worked an entire season to develop.
The cup opens with pronounced honey sweetness—a golden, floral character reminiscent of orange blossom drizzled with acacia honey. Milk chocolate emerges in the mid-palate, supported by layers of toasted almond and caramel that build complexity without overwhelming the delicate fruit acids. As the coffee cools, subtle citrus zest brightens the profile, while brown sugar undertones create a creamy, almost syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is remarkably clean for a decaf, with lingering chocolate and a whisper of honeyed sweetness that invites the next sip—a testament to both Swiss Water's gentle process and the exceptional quality of COMSA's organic cultivation.
Moonrest represents more than caffeine-free convenience—each bag connects you to 1,573 farming families, a quarter-century commitment to organic agriculture, and the protected terroir of Marcala. This is evening coffee without compromise, honoring the hands that grew it and the mountains that shaped it.
