El Salvador El Molino Honey Nº 376

Concepción de Ataco, in the Ahuachapán department of western El Salvador, is one of the country’s most recognised coffee-growing areas. It sits within the Apaneca Mountain Range, a region known for producing some of El Salvador’s finest coffees. High altitudes, rich volcanic soils and a cooler mountain climate create ideal conditions for growing coffees that are full-bodied, sweet and complex.

El Molino is the largest farm owned by the Salaverria family, with a varied landscape that creates a range of growing conditions. Much of the farm sits on slopes facing away from the ocean, so some areas are more exposed to wind and require carefully planted windbreaks, while others benefit from greater shade. The farm also spans a broad range of elevations, from El Padre at its lowest point to Buena Vista at its highest.

Bourbon is the dominant coffee variety grown at El Molino, with much of the remaining land planted with Hybrido de San Francisco (HSF). The farm is also home to Pacas, a variety native to El Salvador that played an important role in the development of HSF on another Jasal farm, San Francisco. A naturally occurring mutation of Bourbon, Pacas is recognised by its compact size and distinctive green-tipped leaves. Its smaller growth habit allows the trees to be planted more densely, increasing the number of coffee trees per hectare and offering the potential for higher yields.

The farm is managed by Tomas Mendoza, who has been part of the Jasal team for more than ten years and is currently overseeing the removal of El Molino’s old processing station. Before Jasal purchased Las Cruces in 2002, El Molino served as the company’s main processing centre. Today, all Jasal coffees are processed at the Las Cruces beneficio, although El Molino’s drying patios are still used during the busiest part of the harvest.