Brace yourselves for a truly Very Special (and rare!) coffee: a natural Geisha lot from El Salvador!
VERY SPECIAL
We think this coffee is Very Special for 3 reasons:
We find it hard to come across high-quality coffees from El Salvador—this one definitely stands out! The country’s politics during the last century has been full of instability, hence affecting the agricultural economy, global exports and incentives for farmers to keep producing coffee. Plus, their mountains are generally lower in altitude than, say, Colombia or Peru, directly impacting the general flavour potential.
It’s a Geisha varietal—say no more.
It’s a natural process—a rare sight on our cupping table! We have a soft spot for the refined notes of washed methods, and we’ll only buy naturals if they present great flavours without too much craziness and over-fermented notes. This lot has been carefully executed, and the natural process is not overpowering but still gives a tonne of fruitiness. It’s delicate yet punchy.
ABOUT EL MANZANO
El Manzano is owned and run by Emilio López Díaz, who has earned a respectable spot in El Salvador’s specialty coffee scene. He is a seventh-generation coffee farmer who, sort of unexpectedly, had to change course to his life plan:
“In 2000, Emilio Lopez Diaz had a decision to make. A recent graduate of an engineering management degree at the University of Portland, Emilio could follow his original plan to open a microbrewery in his home country of El Salvador, or, he could join the family coffee business.” (Source: BeanScene)
Before graduating and while still living in Portland, he learned to roast coffee through the Roasters Guild of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and his own contacts. Upon his return to the home country, he sourced processing equipment and learnt about farm management and product marketing. Eventually, he realised there were benefits in the economies of scale, so he slowly purchased more land. Today, he runs 6 farms—all located in the western part of El Salvador.
This is a too-brief summary, but the life and process of Emilio is certainly an interesting and inspiring story worth checking out. Here are a few interviews and resources that you can visit anytime online:
Interview at Sucafina
Interview at BeanScene
Interview at Barista Magazine
ABOUT THE COFFEE
As we mentioned, this lot features the revered Geisha varietal, which has grown at 1330-1550 metres above sea level. The cherries have been harvested manually and fermented through a natural process. Finally, they’ve been dried on raised beds at the facilities in El Manzano.
ENJOY
Hope you love the coffee and appreciate all the work behind El Manzano’s farm and people. Let us know if you have any questions about its brewing!
