El Salvador Finca Las Mercedes

This coffee has been processed in keeping with ecological friendly processes at the nearby Tuxpal mill. A neat and efficient wet and dry mill serving the local specialty producers, with patios and raised beds, optical sorting and a clear attention to detail. Washed coffee is held in fermentation tanks for around 12 hours. Sun dried on clay patios for 14+ days, to help create a rich full body and clean cup. Fernando’s vision of utilising the natural advantage of altitude and re-committing to varietals that lend to best cup profile over rust resistance and yield, and simply managing the plant stock through good farm work, agronomy investment and experience is a bold one, but managed impeccably well. This has allowed the emergence of very high quality production in general, including this specially prepared selection from pickings around the estate.

For six generations, the Aguilar family has produced coffee on the shade-rich land on the north-eastern slope of the San Salvador Volcano, with a direct view over the capital city of San Salvador. The estates cover nearly 160 hectares at altitudes ranging from 1,250 to 1,700 meters, the top of the farm being unusually high for El Salvador and lending to great coffee growing potential.

This honey processed microlot is a single varietal separation from a plot of 'Kenia', thought to be a Salvadorian mutation of traditional SL Bourbon varieties developed by Scott Laboratories in Kenya.