Origin Trip El Salvador - Finca Los Robles

It all began with cupping at our friend Rodolfo Ruffatti's Buena Vista Mill. Since revitalizing the nearly dormant dry mill, he and his team at Productor Coffee have been preparing coffees from surrounding farms for export.

Alongside me, Jamie from Ancoats Coffee and Nick from Assembly are currently visiting their coffee producers in Central America. Around 40 freshly harvested coffees of different varieties, processing methods, and locations await us.

It quickly becomes clear to me that during this cupping of the new harvest, coffee is not only evaluated but also sold. The goal is to find and secure the best coffees—of which there are usually only a few bags available.

Spoonful by spoonful, we taste our way through the new harvest. Some coffees disappear in the shadow of the multitude, while others practically assert themselves with their uniqueness. A Pacamara, prepared as a honey, in particular , bursts with playful florality, rich grape sweetness, and creamy nuttiness. The complexity of this coffee captures the attention of the roasters present. It's now or never.

Hector Velasquez sells his fine Arabica varieties—primarily Pacamara and Geisha—almost exclusively to South Korea and Japan. Consumers there place particular emphasis on coffee quality and pay higher prices than Europeans or Americans. The market for specialty coffee is significantly larger there, especially in the higher price segment.

A visit to his farm at the San Salvador volcano was a must for me after the cupping session. The farm sits perched on the summit of the dormant volcano above the capital, San Salvador. The view from here stretches far to the south, all the way to the Nicaraguan border.

Tall, healthy bushes teeming with large, round coffee cherries entwine around me. The perfectly arranged coffee plants resemble a diligently tended flower garden of a busy grandmother. We nibble on coffee cherries and marvel at their impressive sweetness.

The prevailing microclimate here seems perfect for the flourishing of these sophisticated Arabica varieties. The flawless and country-specific honey processing underscores the excellent qualities of this coffee. We are particularly pleased that we were able to secure at least three bags of this coffee gem for you. You better be quick!