Honduran coffees are graded based upon the altitude at which they were grown and classified as either Strictly High Grown (SHG), High Grown (HG), and Central Standard. Coffee trees grown in select mountainous regions in altitudes between 4,000 and 6,000 foot elevations are considered specialty coffees. The low temperatures and high altitudes aid in producing a slow maturing fruit as well as a harder, more dense bean. High Grown (HG) coffee grows at altitudes between 2,000 and 3,900 feet above sea level, and Central Standard below an altitude of 2,300 feet in a warmer climate. Once the coffee is harvested, the raw beans are all hand sorted by what is called the European Preparation (EP), to remove any defective beans and foreign material.

Additional Resources:
http://cafeorganicomarcala.com
http://19coffee.com/our-coffees.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904800304576474211973637364.html
http://www.papalatte.com/learnmore/waterprocess.html
http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html