El Salvador Finca Carmen

92,80 kr

Nestled between tall mountains and ancient Mayan ruins lies the city of Chalchuapa, home-base of the Cuzcapacha cooperative. Just north of the city, the coffee of Finca Carmen is being grown.

This lot is made up from Pacas, Catimor, Castillo & Bourbon varieties, the beans are large and very uniform thanks to great growing conditions and the washed processing. It has great clarity and an iconic taste that is easy to fall in love with.

We have worked with this coffee for several years and are very happy to finally share the fresh harvest with you!

"Finca Carmen is extremely smooth, with a clean flavour. The round, opulent body and fairly low acidity make it an ideal choice if you take milk with your coffee. We find notes of chocolate, almonds and oranges in this well-balanced, structured and sweet coffee. In the roast we develop it slightly longer to accentuate the body and balance."

Size:
Grind:

Origin
El Salvador

Region
Chalchuacpa, Santa Ana

Producer
Finca Carmen, Cuzcachapa Cooperative

Varieties
Pache, Bourbon, Catimor, Castillo

Processing
Washed

Crop Year
2021-2022

Altitude
1600-1700m.a.s.l.

Roast level
2 out of 6

Flavour Notes
Chocolate, Nuts, Dried Fruit

Roaster
IMF

Batch Size
40

End Temperature
210.3°C

Time
11.31 minutes

Coffee production in El Salvador has fueled the Salvadoran economy and shaped its history for more than a century. Rapidly growing in the 19th century, coffee in El Salvador has traditionally provided more than 50% of the country's export revenues, reaching a peak in 1980 with a revenue of more than $615 million.

Unusual for Central America, approximately 60% of the coffee produced in El Salvador is Bourbon, characterised by an exceptionally clean, bright and sweet profile with strong citrus note. The country’s unusually high percentage of this renowned coffee varietal, however, is currently under threat from coffee leaf rust, whose impact on the country’s production has been sizable, resulting in a 20 percent drop in revenue from exports between 2011 and 2013.

  • Harvest: October to March

 

Pache is an Arabica coffee varietal from Guatemala, a natural mutation of the Typica variety. It was discovered on the Brito farm in Santa Cruz Naranjo, Santa Rosa and is characterized by its dwarfism, allowing for denser planting and higher yields. Pache is known for its sweet, chocolatey and fruity flavor with low bitterness and acidity. It is commonly grown in high altitudes of Central America.

French missionaries introduced Bourbon from Yemen to Bourbon Island (now La Réunion), giving it the name it has today, in the early 1700s. Until the mid-19th century, Bourbon did not leave the island. But beginning in the mid-1800s, the variety spread to new parts of the world as the missionaries moved to establish footholds in Africa and the Americas. The flavor profile of Bourbon coffee is characterized by its sweet and balanced taste. It often has notes of caramel, chocolate, and sometimes fruit.

Catimor is a hybrid coffee varietal that is renowned for its high yields and unique flavor profile. This type of coffee is a cross between two popular coffee plants, the Caturra and Timor varieties, which results in a plant that is highly resistant to disease and able to produce a large number of high-quality beans. It has a medium body with flavour notes of nut and spice.

The Castillo coffee variety is a rust-resistant variety that is the result of decades of research and development by Colombia's National Coffee Research Centre, it was released in 2005 after 23 years of research. Castillo is known for its smoothness, aroma, and citric acidity, and is highly regarded by producers for its high yields and good cup profile. It's estimated that 45% of coffee grown in Colombia coffee is Castillo, but it has also spread to other Latin American countries like El Salvador in this case.

Coffee farming in the Santa Ana region of El Salvador dates back to the late 19th century when Spanish colonizers introduced the first Arabica coffee plants to the country. The area's volcanic soil, high altitude, and warm climate made it ideal for coffee production and became a significant source of income for local farmers. In the mid-20th century, Santa Ana was one of the largest coffee-producing regions in El Salvador, but civil war and economic instability caused a decline in production.

However, there has been a resurgence of interest in Specialty Coffee production in recent years, with small-scale farmers and co-ops focusing on high-quality and sustainable practices. These efforts have helped to revitalize the local economy and bring recognition to the exceptional coffee produced in the region.

Since 2018 we have been working with the Cuzcachapa Cooperative, located in the Santa Ana city of Chalchuapa. The Cooperative was founded in 1966 with the goal of promoting social and economic improvements for all members. Throughout the years, Cuzcachapa has grown to be one of the largest co-ops of its kind in El Salvador while still maintaining its principles of equality and free membership.

Not only does the co-op run a medical clinic, hardware store, and gas station, but it also supports the local Santa Elenita school and trains its farmers in modern agronomy. They continuously strive to improve the community while valuing respect, passion, and sustainability.

With a focus on leadership, teamwork, and innovation, the co-op offers a range of services and products aimed at making a positive impact, such as loans to farmers and agricultural support. They are dedicated to meeting the needs of its members and being a positive influence in the Salvadoran coffee industry.

Coffee from the region is known for its rich, full-bodied flavour and bright acidity. It often has a sweet and chocolatey flavor profile, with hints of caramel, nuts and sometimes fruits like cherry. The high altitude and fertile volcanic soil of the Santa Ana region contributes to its great taste.

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