The Cup:

Fresh citrus, cocoa, mellow kahlua, and fresh melon flavors with piquant acidity and

mild candy-like sweetness.

Washed coffees are the most commonly found in El Salvador, and typically the coffee is picked ripe and depuled the same day it's harvested before being put in tanks to ferment in the open air for about 12–24 hours. The mucilage is washed off from the seeds, then the coffee is spread on patios or raised beds to dry, which takes up to 20 days.

Derivation: Bourbon relatedLocation of Origin: El SalvadorOrigin Story: Naturally occurring dwarf Bourbon mutation discovered

in El Salvador (1949)

Chalatenango, the "valley of water and sand", is El Salvador's coolest and northern-most region. Historically, the country's top

coffees have come from western El Salvador. In 2007, though, a Chalatenango pacamara won the Cup of Excellence bringing

the region and variety center stage. We purchased that winning coffee, and promptly went to Chalatenango to cup coffees

from more producers. Since that time, we've placed a green buyer associate in the region to expand relationships and provide

support. From year to year, we've become used to cupping microlots of pacamara, pacas, SL-28, and Gesha, all grown by small

producers who apply rigorous harvest and a range of processing techniques. Chalatenango is both special to us, and

important to specialty coffee as a whole.