Coffee of the month - El Salvador Pacamara
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Varietal – Pacamara
Preparation – Washed
Location – Northern region of Santa Ana
Altitude – 1200-1500 masl
Importer - Falcon Coffees
Sending out to subscribers from the 19th of November.
The Cafenor mill is named after the location, an area north of Santa Ana. The Valiente family run the operation headed by Alejandro and his daughters Monica and Valeria. The family have been involved in the coffee industry for generations dating back to 1890.
The family owns a farm named Anarquía, which is planted with Bourbon, Pacas, Pacamara and Typica. In addition to farming their coffee, they also possess a well-respected mill specializing in processing their coffee and coffee from their neighbours' farms.
The mill helps to support around 65 smallholder farmers in and around this area. These farms typically cover 1 to 3 hectares. Cafenor aims to support these small producers by providing a post harvest processing facility. They also support their community by purchasing supplies in volume like fertilizer, providing access to training, and giving them access to post-harvest infrastructure at the mill.
All coffees processed at the mill are dried on raised, shaded African beds. As part of their core mission, Cafenor are looking to be sustainable in all their practices. Solar panels on the roof supply all energy at the mill. The mill is certified carbon neutral. They have invested in a geothermal energy project named La Geo, working in El Salvador to supply a green energy source as the country demand increases.
Producer Info:
This coffee comes from 18 smallholders from the Metapan region and is a blend of the Pacamara varietal. Many of these producers produce a very small amount of this unusual varietal. In this case, the best approach is to combine several small farms to create a single 'lot' large enough to sell.
The harvest from each farmer was kept separate, roasted and cupped before being blended. Some producers delivered cherry to the mill, which was then processed on-site. Others dried their coffee and delivered this as parchment to the Cafenor mill. All these coffees were delivered to the mill between February and April in the 2021 harvest. To ensure uniformity, Cafenor works with producers who have undergone training and have set procedures to follow in the post-harvest process of the coffees.
Tasting notes:
This is a juicy, clean coffee that represents the best of washed coffees from central america. The Pacamara varietal is know for producing coffee with exceptional cup scores. You can read more about this varietal on the World Coffee Research website. Tasting notes include orange, caramel and a tea like body.