El Salvador – Iselti

El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, but that does not diminish its standing as a producer of high-quality coffee. Its volcanic, mountainous geography—with Santa Ana Volcano as its emblem—creates rich soils and microclimates that have made the region one of the continent’s most award-winning, with the Cup of Excellence taking top honors year after year.

One detail reveals the character of Salvadoran coffee growers: in areas battered by strong winds, producers have learned to use shrubs and small trees as natural barriers to protect their plantations. And in the face of threats such as coffee leaf rust, they have invested in developing resistant varieties. This ingenuity, combined with careful harvesting, is what sets the country’s coffees apart.

This coffee comes from Miramar farm, in the district of Juayúa, within the Apaneca-Ilamatepec region. The owners are the Salaverría family, who own the three main growing areas around Santa Ana Volcano, along with JASAL, a family business with more than a hundred years of experience growing, processing, and exporting the country’s finest coffees.

Many farms are found in its coffee-growing areas, some inherited, and most grow San Francisco coffee (a hybrid of Pacas and the old Bourbon Elite, developed on the farm itself). Pacamaras, Catuai, Caturra, and Catimors appear from time to time. But what stands out most is the overall quality of the cherries: an intense, uniform blood red, a sign of careful harvesting and the tremendous effort to complete every task on time and with attention to detail.

For this lot, the Bourbon variety grows at elevations between 1,425 and 1,700 meters above sea level, an altitude that concentrates sugars and determines the density of the bean.

Honey with anaerobic fermentation combines two techniques. First, the coffee is pulped, retaining some of its mucilage, and fermented in a sealed, oxygen-free environment, where the yeasts work slowly and under controlled conditions. This anaerobic environment intensifies sweet, fruity aromas with great precision. Then, in the honey phase, the remaining mucilage dries on the bean, adding body and deep sweetness.

The result is a complex, clean, and indulgent profile, with clearly defined fruit and a rich texture, featuring aromas and flavors such as muscovado sugar, jasmine, raspberry, lemon, and green tea.

The cup also unfolds with plum, dark chocolate, hazelnuts, and apple, with a creamy, sweet sensation and medium body. Muscovado and dark chocolate build a sweet, roasted base; plum, raspberry, and apple add ripe fruit; hazelnuts bring creaminess; and white flowers, lemon, and green tea finish with freshness and elegance.

We recommend several brewing methods and show you what you can expect from each one:

One tip: to preserve the citrus acidity and floral notes, use a medium grind, water at 90–93 °C, and a 1:16 ratio. A profile made for those seeking sweetness, fruit, and elegance in a balanced cup.