El Salvador Las Veraneras Black Honey

We are elated to offer this spectacular coffee 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.