El Salvador SHG Famila Pacas is a traceable and meticulously processed coffee. It comes to us from various farms near Cerro Verde and Llamatepec Volcano owned and operated by the Pacas Family, Exportadora Pacas. This fifth-generation family business cultivates, processes and exports specialty coffee.
Red Bourbon and Pacas varieties are shade-grown at 1200 to 1750 meters above sea level. El Salvador SHG Familia Pacas is handpicked at peak ripeness and sorted for any underripe, dry or green cherry. This sorted cherry is then taken to the Pacas mill, located in the Zapotitán Valley in La Libertad, about forty minutes or less from the capital.
At Beneficio Vivagua, the coffee undergoes careful processing. First, the cherry is mechanically pulped. Interestingly, the separated coffee pulp is collected rather than discarded at the mill. This nutrient-rich byproduct is transported to the farm weekly, where it is used as a fertilizer for the coffee trees. (This sustainable practice demonstrates environmental stewardship as well as enhances the quality of their coffee over time.) Next, the pulped coffee is fermented for six hours and then washed. Subsequently the coffee is pre-dried on patios for three days to a moisture content of 25-30 percent. Next, the coffee is dried in mechanical dryers for 30-35 hours until it reaches 11.7-12 percent moisture. The coffee then rests in parchment for a period before dry milling. Finally, the beans are mechanically sorted according to size, density and color as well as manually hand-sorted.
Cupping notes: Vanilla, cashew, orange, apple.
