We really like this year’s harvest from El Salvador and that’s why we have prepared for you another delicious beans, processed with the honey anaerobic method, roasted for espresso. Carlos Pola comes from a family of coffee farmers. He purchased Finca Las Brisas in 1997 while he was working in the textile industry. By 2012, he switched to working in coffee full time. His vision is to produce sustainable specialty coffee by applying his textile industry experience in quality control, efficiency and data management to coffee production on Finca Las Brisas. The farm has its own lab for experimenting with new processing methods, quality control and educating farm workers about specialty coffee. The farm has its own lab for experimenting with new processing methods, quality control and educating farm workers about specialty coffee.
When Carlos dedicated himself to producing coffee full-time in 2012, he renovated the farm to create a farm focused on a dramatically new, sustainable and cost-effective production. Carlos has substantially reduced the farm’s use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers by adopting a specific combination of scientific theory and coffee producers’ know-how. Trees are planted in double rows and shaded by nitrogen-fixing trees.
Cherry is selectively handpicked and cherry is placed in sealed containers to ferment anaerobically for 120 hours. Following fermentation, cherry is pulped and parchment is washed in clean water to remove remaining mucilage and create a cleaner profile. Parchment is laid on raised beds where it is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 15 to 20 days for parchment to dry. Dried parchment is stored on the farm for several days and then transported to Cooperative La Cuzcachapa in Chalchuapa, Santa Ana to be prepared for export.
In line with his focus on ecologically-sound methods, Carlos only uses Honey, Natural and controlled fermentation processes to help reduce Finca La Brisas’ water consumption. Any water used in processing is carefully treated to reduce its environmental impact. Water is anaerobically fermented in sealed tanks where solids are broken down. This nutrient-rich solution is used to spread the fungi that support symbiotic nutrient uptake in coffee trees.
The Christmas atmosphere will certainly be better enjoyed with a cup of sweet espresso. So don’t hesitate long, we have plenty of stock, but it’s going fast.
Our baristas notes:
Anaerobically fermented coffees on espresso are always a fun wilderness. And Las Brisas is no different. You have to be careful with the espresso ratio which is higher than we’re normally used to. Our best espresso came out at a ratio of 1:2.5 with a time of around 30 seconds. With this coffee it’s more important to be really attentive to the output gravity on the other hand we didn’t find it too sensitive to time. The result is a full-bodied and very juicy espresso. There are lovely herbs in the aroma with the most dominant being motherwort and mint. Although the taste on the body are dominated by rather sweet, dense fruity notes prevail with a chocolate finish. The coffee is also perfect for dairy drinks.
