THE FARM: This green coffee comes from small producers whose farms dot the mountainous slopes of Santa Ana. Santa Ana is known for producing some of El Salvador’s best coffee. Coffees from Santa Ana display a smooth, well-balanced flavor profile with notes of chocolate, caramel, and bright acidity. This coffee was grown above 1,200 meters and higher elevations mean slower coffee cherry and bean development, leading to more nutrient density and more flavor. The challenges associated with production at higher elevations encourage higher standards to streamline labor logistics for the best possible crop quality, particularly for the smaller volume yielded from the slow-growing process.

Most of the coffee produced by El Salvador undergoes “washed” or “wet” processing. Coffee cherries are floated and sorted to ensure consistent ripeness and to remove any defective cherries. The seeds (coffee beans) are then removed from their skins using depulping machines and typically moved to fermentation tanks to remove the mucilage—the remaining fruit remnants. Afterward, the coffee is dried until it reaches the optimal moisture level. Washed processing has become widely popular. The cup profile of washed coffees tends to reflect the terroir of the coffee. The processing method allows the growing conditions, the region, and the true character of the coffee to shine through.

 OUR ROAST: This lot has all the tenets of a "daily drinking" category of coffee. The sweetness has elements of classic caramel candies, which pair well with hints of roasted nut, and the pungent dark chocolate roast flavors that flood the cup. The fragrance and aroma show a nutty sweetness and the cup has a creamy bittersweetness of caramel and semi-sweet chocolate bar. Santa Ana makes a chocolatey single origin espresso too!

*** All prices are per pound ***