El Salvador
Each of this month’s lots reflect the part of El Salvador from which they originate. In the west, Aida Batlle’s Finca Kilimanjaro was planted many years ago, by one of the several families that brought coffee to El Salvador in the late 19th Century. The trees here are some of the oldest examples of SL28 outside of Kenya, thought to pre-date the final selection of the varietal by Scott Laboratories.
This leads to a red berry driven cup, showcasing the varietal’s character. In the east, Diego Baraona’s Los Pirineos has also been in the family for many years, but grows a very different set of varietals, including modern Salvadoran coffee’s calling card, Pacamara. The floral notes of the Pacamara shine in this month’s washed lot, backed up by orange and rich brown sugar in the cup.
In the east, Diego Baraona’s Los Pirineos has also been in the family for many years, but grows a very different set of varietals, including modern Salvadoran coffee’s calling card, Pacamara. Both ends of the country share volcanic soils, on the Santa Ana and the Tecapa volcano respectively, but the influence of the cooler coastal climate is clearer at Los Pirineos, meaning coffee grows lower down the mountain, but at a similar average temperature. Additionally, Los Pirineos is planted with great care and order, separating each varietal and plot, while Kilimanjaro follows the forest, with SL28 and Bourbon trees interspersed, leading to the varietal blend in this month’s lot. Some fundamental differences in conditions, approach, and lot creation lead to two contrasting expressions of El Salvador’s coffee history.
Kilimanjaro
Finca Kilimanjaro is owned by the Batlle family, and has been run mainly by Aida Batlle, the sixth generation of the family to produce coffee, for over 2 decades. Aida is a true trailblazer in the coffee world, having been the first woman to win a Cup of Excellence, the inaugural Salvadoran competition in 2003. Fleeing to Miami during El Salvador’s brutal Civil War, Aida returned to the family’s farms in the late 90’s. Although much of the coffee from the farms was pre-contracted to a local buyer, Aida was free to experiment on the highest plot of land, with the highest quality potential, Finca Kilimanjaro. It was not long after this that her attention to detail paid off, and the Cup of Excellence win opened the doors not only for the Batlle farms, but for a wider quality revolution in El Salvador. Since then, Aida has worked with some of the finest roasters across the world, innovating in new varietals, processing techniques, the export of cascara, and developing direct trade models.
Moplaco
This coffee comes from Kilimanjaro itself, located high on the slopes of the Santa Ana volcano, not far from the town of Santa Ana itself. The volcanic soils of Santa Ana are very fertile, leading to excellent yields as well as quality. Here, as on all of the family farms, the level of control at all stages is impressive. Only the ripest red cherries are picked, fermentation protocols are followed to the letter, and coffee is stored and dry-milled under exacting conditions. We visited the farm and the attached processing station in March 2023, and were once again impressed by the systems employed, and the continued push for improvement. A collaborative plot with World Coffee Research is home to genetic blueprints for Salvadoran varietals, and continually searches for new ways to improve quality, both at the Batlle farms and across the coffee belt.
This lot is a blend of varietals grown at Kilimanjaro, which includes very old SL varietal trees and Bourbon, processed using the washed method. This leads to a rich and sweet cup, with a round and juicy berry acidity.
Los Pirineos
The Los Pirineos farm has been in the Baraona family for over 130 years. The farm is named for the Pyrenees mountain range that separates France and Spain; many are struck by the breathtaking landscape here in the far east of El Salvador, close to the border with Honduras. After generations of hard work, the family lost much of their land during the brutal Salvadoran Civil in the 1980’s. Gilberto Baraona returned to the family lands against the wishes of his grandparents, who wanted their descendants to avoid the hardship they had been through while producing coffee. Gilberto’s resolve was strong, and he rebuilt the farm, refocussing on producing high quality coffee until his tragic death in 2020. The farm was then taken over by his son Diego, the fifth generation of the Baraona family to work with coffee. Diego, at only 29, has taken on his father’s legacy with aplomb. We visited Los Pirineos in March 2023, our first trip since Diego took over operations.
We were once again stunned by the steep volcanic slopes of the farm, perched on the Tecapa volcano. One of the highlights of a visit to Los Pirineos is always the varietal garden, curated by Diego’s father throughout his time in coffee. The garden is home to 70 different varietals, many of which we’ve never seen before on our travels in coffee, or are familiar with from other parts of the coffee belt. From this varietal garden, over 20 varietals are in production on the farm, a number Diego has been increasing slowly, along with a greater emphasis on processing, but still with a focus on Pirineos’ incredible terroir, and signature coffees such as Pacamara and Bourbon.
Washed Pacamara
All of Pirineos’ coffee is processed at its purpose-built mill, completed in 2014, specially designed to process and separate high quality microlots, with cleanliness and systems taken very seriously. Gilberto always compared the operation to a fine dining restaurant, where preparation and systems in the kitchen help to deliver the highest possible quality of final product with minimal stress during service (or harvest) time. This level of control and precision requires a well trained staff, so the Baraonas make sure of high pay and good conditions, meaning they are able to maintain a full-time staff of around 60 year-round, almost unheard of in the coffee industry. The mill is located in a valley which runs from east to west, giving optimal sun exposure and creating a natural wind tunnel, aiding in drying coffee efficiently. The high altitude also leads to lower average temperatures, leading to longer controlled drying times and better shelf life for the coffees. The dry mill is also located here, and with a similarly systematic approach, coffees are packed and prepared for export right on the farm. All of this leads consistently to some of the finest coffees in El Salvador, and under Diego’s guidance, a widening selection of characterful microlots.
This lot is of the Pacamara varietal, processed using a washed method. All of the water used for processing at Los Pirineos is taken from their rainwater harvesting tank, reducing the farm’s fresh water demand massively. This water usage is reduced even further by the use of Penagos eco-pulping equipment, removing much of the mucilage during the pulping process, removing the need for further fermentation and washing. This results in some of the cleanest representations of terroir and varietal we’ve found during our time in coffee, with floral aromas followed by orange and rich brown sugar in the cup.
For El Salvadorian coffee we like to highlight their deep complexity of acidity and sweetness, this is done by using a v60 with a long brew time.
DATA
15 grams of medium fine grind
250 grams of water 50 ppm 96°C
METHOD
0:00 Pour the bloom 60g
0:45 Pour up to 105g
1:30 Pour up to 150g
2:15 Pour up to 195g
Total brew time should be 2:00 - 3:30
