El Salvador Finca El Trompillo

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What’s the story?

We are super proud to bring you this beauty from the legendary Alotepec-Metapan region, especially because it is a Pacamara, the varietal created in El Salvador which when grown at high altitudes produces some of the world’s finest coffee.

There is a delicious buttery peach fruitiness to this coffee, balanced with soft honey sweetness and a background note of red apple. It’s the balance to this coffee that makes it so pleasing, the peach and soft apple notes combined with a buttery sugary mouthfeel make this an easy drinking joy.

It’s a bright and lively coffee with those fruity notes and at the same time, there is a rich and complex sweetness. This balance makes for a coffee that is both refreshing and comforting, with a nuanced flavour profile that keeps you coming back for more.

The coffee is the result of the work of Jose Ovidio Flores Landaverde (who goes by Don Ovidio) a coffee producer who grew up around coffee. He used to go work with his dad in the fields starting around age 15, but this was interrupted by the chaos and destruction of the Salvadoran Civil War, which had started in the Seventies, and ran on until the signing of peace accords in 1992, which makes Don Ovidio’s decision to start his first coffee farm in 1990 incredibly brave and visionary. He began planting his pacamara and decided to focus on quality coffee production at high altitudes.

For the first five years, the family did everything by hand including manually operating their coffee depulper. As the years went by, Don Ovidio and his family learned how to improve their quality, planted Pacamara seedlings, and began experimenting with washed,
honey, and natural lots.

Don Ovidio is proud to be the father to four children, and he’s a defender of the beautiful natural environment of the region and a protector of nature. The farm name, El Trompillo, comes from a native tree that is common in the coffee region, around the Alotepec-Metapan mountain range that forms part of the larger Apaneca-Ilamatepec coffee region, which has been recognized for its exceptional coffee quality by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA).

Coffee has been cultivated in the Alotepec-Metapan mountain range since the late 19th century. The region’s rich volcanic soil, temperate climate, and high altitudes create ideal conditions for growing high-quality coffees Over the years, coffee cultivation has become an essential part of the region’s economy and has played a significant role in shaping its social and cultural fabric.

Today, the Alotepec-Metapan range is home to numerous small and medium-sized coffee farms that continue to produce exceptional specialty coffees as the coffee grows between 1400 to 1600 m above sea level. The soil, rich in limestone and clay, is perfect for growing healthy and strong coffee plants. The higher altitude causes the coffee plant to grow slower, which allows the beans to develop a more complex flavour. Additionally, the cooler temperatures at higher altitudes help to slow down the ripening process, which also contributes to the unique flavour profile of Pacamara coffee beans.

The Pacamara coffee varietal is a creation of the Salvadoran Institute for Coffee Research (ISIC) back in 1958, and is the result of crossing the native Pacas and the Maragogipe varietals. It took approximately 30 years of careful scientific research to create the Pacamara varietal and it was released to coffee producers in the late 1980’s. It has become known and loved for its large size, distinct shape, and complex flavour profile with notes of chocolate, fruit, and floral flavours

Brewing Recipe