Coffee from El Salvador

El Salvador is the smallest of the Central American countries, but don't let its small size fool you. It grows excellent coffee to high standards. The history of coffee production in El Salvador has been marked by the country's political instability. No other region in Central America has been as dependent on coffee as the people of El Salvador. The boom has led the locals to call coffee ‘El granola de oro’, the Golden Grain. Despite its small size, El Salvador ranks 19th in the list of coffee-growing countries. The passion and experience of the farmers, combined with skilful harvesting and processing, contribute greatly to the consistently high quality of the country's production.

Rising altitude: 1200 - 1500 metres above sea level
Arabica types: Bourbon, Pacas, Pacamara, Caturra, Catuai, Catisic
Harvesting period: October - March
Milling process: washed, sun-dried
Nose: sweet fruit, floral, spice
Taste: sweet citrus and chocolate
Acidity: light, sweet

The special characteristics of coffee:

Because 80% of coffee plantations are surrounded by forests, the beans ripen in favourable shade, protected from direct sunlight. This affects the mildness of the coffee flavour.
Only local traditions and technologies are used. El Salvador is one of the few countries that does not use other technologies, which helps to preserve its uniqueness.
Arabica is grown and processed in wet conditions. Dry processing is very rare here.
Many note the floral notes in this drink.
Conforms to the prestigious global SHG standard.
Rigorous selection of each grain during collection and manual sorting.

The coffee-growing climate of El Salvador

El Salvador's unique climate, soil and geographical location allow it to produce excellent, well-ripened coffee beans. The prevailing subtropical climate, with two distinct 6-month periods of the year: a dry and a wet season, creates ideal conditions for growing arabica. Although most coffee beans are not labelled as organic, they are grown under organic conditions.
There are many different varieties of coffee in El Salvador. The highest quality El Salvadoran coffees that stand out from the general range are the Bourbon and Pacamara Arabica coffees, grown at an altitude of 1 200 metres and marked SHG (Strictly High-Grown). Bourbon has a clean, bright and sweet profile with strong citrus notes. Pakamaru is characterised by its tropical fruit, juicy flavour and bright citrus notes. Pacas, Catimor, Sarchimor are also popular in the country.

Flavour profile of Salvadoran coffee

El Salvador for coffee has an excellent, delicate flavour. The dominant flavours are caramel and chocolate with a bittersweet cocoa aftertaste. The subtle but very noticeable acidity of these beans is an advantage and enhances the subtle character of Salvadoran coffee. The good body, fruity aftertaste, excellent sweetness and the great care taken by the growers in preparing the beans guarantee the high quality of this arabica.