Introduction to Santa Ana Alaska Estate - Alaska Coffee Introduction

Professional coffee knowledge exchange | For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

Alaska Estate: A Premier Coffee Destination

Alaska Estate is located in the northwestern mountainous region of the Santa Ana Volcano. It is the estate of Ernesto, a two-time Cup of Excellence (CoE) champion in El Salvador. After harvest, Alaska's coffee cherries are transported to the lower-altitude San Carlos processing station for direct post-harvest processing. The seedling nurseries for all four estates are also located at San Carlos. San Carlos is the only estate under Ernesto's management that produces commercial-grade coffee beans. Its slightly lower altitude actually makes it suitable for processing, as cherries from all four estates are concentrated here for processing after harvest, with hulling operations outsourced.

Ernesto's Journey to Excellence

After acquiring Alaska Estate in 2006, Ernesto implemented meticulous cultivation and processing methods. The following year, he selected an elite batch for competition and won eighth place in the Cup of Excellence! He also serves as a national judge for El Salvador's Cup of Excellence competition, deeply understanding the importance of selecting premium coffee cherries and carefully managing post-harvest processing. Ernesto says: "Alaska's victory was very important to me. It not only laid the foundation for later championship wins but, in fact, the inquiries and purchasing power that came with increased recognition enabled me to acquire more excellent farms..." Subsequently, Ernesto purchased Dream Estate and Burmas Estate, gradually building his coffee kingdom.

Commitment to Quality

With years of cupping and quality control experience, Ernesto pays great attention to detail, even in his interactions with employees. The foreman responsible for the processing plant sometimes finds his standards challenging to meet. Ernesto even personally supervises the entire washed fermentation process and later sun-drying operations. When he took over Alaska Estate and achieved ranking among El Salvador's top 10 winning estates within just one year, this honor was hard-won.

Distinctive Flavor Profile

Alaska Estate primarily cultivates traditional Bourbon varieties, including small amounts of Orange Bourbon, as well as some Pacamara varieties. The Bourbon varieties from the Santa Ana Volcano region, especially in high-altitude areas, possess a fresh, bright, and delicate acidity. They feature rich and complex flavors including floral notes, citrus acidity, apple, and nutty chocolate flavors—completely different from Brazil's red wine-matured acidic Bourbon. The sweetness and green apple flavors that emerge from the mid-palate create a unique style that is difficult to replicate in other countries.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests brewing parameters:

Pour-over: V60 dripper, grind with Fuji R440 at 3.5, water temperature around 90°C

French press: recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C

Siphon: recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C-91°C

AeroPress: recommended grind setting 3.5, water temperature 90°C

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473