El Salvador | Finca El Cedro Gesha Natural

Process | Natural

Variety | Gesha

MASL | 1200-1800 MASL

Red Wine | Blackberry | Hops

El Salvador was once one of the world’s most efficient coffee producers. Throughout the 19th century, indigenous farmers made the most of El Salvador’s dramatic elevation and richly volcanic soil, largely without outside assistance or interference. But like so many of its Central American neighbors, coffee production in El Salvador was derailed in the latter half of the 20th century by years of political instability and armed conflict. Many coffee fincas were destroyed, abandoned, or irreperably harmed during this time, and it was not until the early 2000s that Salvadoran coffee finally began to rebound, largely thanks to the Cup of Excellence competition and similar high profile specialty coffee initiatives.

This naturally processed Gesha microlot from Jose Angelino Landaverde’s Finca El Cedro fulfills all the promise of that era. With a winey acidity, fresh florals, and a slightly herbaceous quality reminiscent of hops, this striking but highly drinkable cup holds several punchy flavors in perfect balance, and brings several disparate coffee traditions together in elegant harmony.23