El Salvador Cerro Verde Volcano

Our coffee has been sourced from smallholder farms located near the Cerro Verde Volcano and Ilamatepic Volcano in El Salvador.

Growing Conditions

The altitude of these farms range from 1,200 to 1,750 metres above sea level (MASL). The flora within the surrounding national park consists primarily of cold zone vegetation. The flora is exuberant, always green due to the high humidity of the soil and the air, resulting from the constant mist and the frequent rains.

Production

All farms involved in the production of this single origin farm are Strictly High Grown (SHG) farms, which means they operate at a high altitude - usually above 1,200 MASL. These higher altitudes result in increased rainfall and cooler temperatures.

When coffee is grown in cooler air it takes longer to mature, flower and produce coffee cherries. The longer maturation period allows more time for the coffee bean to absorb more of the sweetness and flavour from the pulp.

Processing

The coffee is harvested carefully by hand once the coffee cherries have reached optimal ripeness. Any underripe, dry or green cherries are removed from the batch.

The coffee cherries are then transported to a mill at Vivagua where pulpers remove the red skin from the cherries. The pulp is nutrient dense, and once it is dried at the mill it is returned to the farms for use as fertiliser on the trees.

The washed coffee process commences with the parchment coffee being placed into fermentation tanks for 8-10 hours dependent on the external humidity and temperature. Once the mucilage is released, the coffee is washed and dried on patios where they are moved up to 8 times each day. At night, the coffee is piled up into small batches and covered with jute bags to protect it from dew and rain.

The humidity of the coffee is measured every day. Once it reaches 12%, the coffee is packed into jute bags and stored in the warehouse in a spot that is previously assigned in order to preserve traceability. The time it takes for the parchment coffee to reach the desired humidity can be 10-13 days.

This versatile single origin is a divinely rich, slightly nutty coffee with tasting notes of cherry, toasted walnut and dark chocolate which pairs wonderfully with milk.