For the fourth year in a row,
we are elated to offer another spectacular offering from our good friends at Finca Las Veraneras in
western El Salvador’s Apaneca - Ilamatepec mountain range. Here, Jorge Cruz Rubio has been putting into
practice techniques and processes that many sustainable agriculturalists only dream of being able to
achieve in their lifetime using progressive, ecologically beneficial growing practices such as
biodynamic farming (which takes organic farming a step further by reincorporating waste from
agricultural production back into the system in the form of compost instead of using manufactured
external inputs, helping to cultivate beneficial microbial life and subsequently healthier plants), the
use of biochar, and multi-layered planting practices that offer habitat for local fauna and improves
soil retention and health, amongst others, all on a large scale. Finca Las Veraneras is a 20 acre farm
unto itself, but Jorge has been integral to sharing and teaching these practices amongst his neighbors
in the region, improving the ecology, production volumes, and value of their coffee as part of his
organization, BioKrop, that he founded. This particular coffee is a San Pacho varietal that has been
processed using the Black Honey method, where the skins of the coffee cherries are removed, but most of
the mucilage is left intact and the cherries are set out to dry under shade, usually for a period of at
least 6-8 days, all the while being carefully monitored to ensure even drying. This imparts the thicker
body and fruity notes of a natural process, but with more of the distinction and clarity of a washed
process, as evidenced by the tasting notes of this roast: aromas of dried apricots and prunes, the
syrupy sweetness of panela, a subtle juicy acidity, toasted almond, a silky mouthfeel, and a quiet anise
spice complexity as the cup cools.
How to Brew It:
This coffee performs best as an immersion brew (french press, aeropress, even
espresso!) to harness the thick body and deep sweetness, but would also work for drip or pourover. The
brewing ratio should be 1:15, at a temperature of 197-203 degrees.
CountryEl Salvador
RegionAhuachapan
FarmFinca Las Veraneras
Altitude1750 Meters
VarietalsSan Pacho
Production MethodBlack Honey
Roast LevelLight
Las Veraneras
El Salvador
Tasting Notes
Dried Fruit AromaPanelaDark ChocolateToasted AlmondSubtle AciditySilky Body
