El Salvador Apaneca Coffee - Central America

This new El Salvador Microlot comes from Rafael and Carmen Elena Silva. In the early 1920's, Rafael's grandfather, Arturo Silva, named this farm San Cayetano after he purchased it. This 15 hectare farm is 100% Bourbon and is located in the volcanic Apaneca- Ilamatepec Mountain Range in El Salvador. It is 1400m above sea level which makes it one of the highest altitude farms of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range. All the coffee from the farm is hand-picked and processed at the Silvas mill, Beneficio San Pedro. With their own mill, the Silva's can closely manage the processing and quality control. The coffee cherries are pulped after they arrive at Beneficio San Pedro to remove part of the fruit on the outside of the coffee parchment and dried on raised beds in a greenhouse with workers turning the beans regularly. This ensures the coffee does not over ferment and dries evenly.

Not only do the Silvas produce amazing coffees, but they are also committed to the environment by recycling coffee pulp, using earthworms to process the pulp and create compost that goes right back into the coffee trees. The coffee trees here are shade grown with trees native to the area which conserves soil moisture and avoids erosion. To protect against erosion, the Silvas plant natural barriers and drill holes to help with the drainage and to minimize flooding. The rain reservoirs collect rain during the wet season and sustain the farm during the dry season.

Cupping Notes: Sweet, mixed berry, milk chocolate, honey, syrupy.