TRADITIONAL
Nº 261 Mexico San Pedro El Alto
Country: Mexico
Process: Washed
Grown / Region: Sierra Sur, Oaxaca
Altitude: 1450m - 1900m
Varietals: Mundo novo & pluma hidalgo
Producers: Smallholders
Tasting Notes: Baked apple, Molasses, Sweet Biscuit
Roast Level: Dark 5/5
The producers surrounding the town of San Pedro El Alto produce low yields on small family farms. Together their lots are combined into one community coffee that is then large enough to export. Typical of Mexico, the coffee is sweet, balanced and of high quality. With darker roasting, the potential flavour is easily extracted via multiple brew methods. Think rich cocoa, biscuit and caramelised nuts.
DISCOVERY
Nº 260 El Salvador Santa Petrona
Country: El Salvador
Process: Black Honey
Grown / Region: La Montañita, Santa Ana
Altitude: 1400m - 1500m
Varietals: Red Bourbon
Producers: Federico Pacas Lopez
Tasting Notes: Black Cherry, Cocoa, Dates
Roast Level: Medium 3/5
FARM NOTES:
Santa Petrona is a fourth generation coffee farm in the beautiful Santa Ana region of El Salvador, close to the Guatemalan border. Petrona Palacios de Díaz purchased the farm in 1927 and began the plantation of the Red Bourbon varietal, known for its sweet round red cherries and exceptional cup quality.
Petrona’s great grandson, Federico now manages the farm and a coffee processing and exporting business set up by his father. The business, named Café Tuxpal, now also buys cherries from neighbouring farms, and has expanded into roasting and even their own coffee shops. This family have managed to build a fully integrated supply chain that enables them to understand the preference of the end consumer.
The farm at the start of it all, Santa Petrona, is well know for its ‘Black Honey' processing which involves leaving some of the fruit pulp and mucilage on the drying bean. This is thought to impart extra sweetness on the final product. It is a riskier way to process coffee, but the final taste, and payment for the producer are worth the effort!
Santa Petrona is a fourth generation coffee farm situated in the picturesque Santa Ana region. The coffee here is renowned for its sweet red cherries and high cup quality. The flavour profile from this farm in particular is also the result of the black honey processing whereby some of the cherry fruit pulp and mucilage is left on the drying beans. This imparts even more natural sweetness, and rounded fruit flavour.