Talanga Valley

Medium-bodied and comparatively polite: dry cedar, light cocoa, hay and a soft baking-spice warmth with far less of the sour twang that marks Jamastran. It burns cleanly and evenly, which is why so much of the crop is graded as binder. In blends it functions as the moderating element, filling out the middle of the palate without adding heat.

Seco and viso are the most valuable grades. Talanga ligero is mild by Central American standards and is rarely used as a blend's primary strength source.

Sandy loam with good drainage and a lighter nutrient load than Jamastran, sitting on the highland plain north of Tegucigalpa. The thinner soil yields a thinner, less aggressive leaf.

Higher, cooler and drier than Jamastran, with a wider day-night temperature swing and a firmer dry season that gives predictable curing conditions.

Talanga was planted later than Jamastran as Honduran demand grew and blenders wanted a lighter counterweight to the country's dominant heavy leaf.

Stable, with acreage tied closely to demand from the Danli and Santa Rosa de Copan factories.