El Salvador Los Pirineos Pacamara Yellow Honey Coffee Beans - Cup of Excellence Winner

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What are the flavor and characteristics of the Cup of Excellence award-winning El Salvador Los Pirineos Pacamara Yellow Honey coffee?

Los Pirineos Estate is renowned in the specialty coffee industry, not only for having won 8 Cup of Excellence awards in El Salvador, but also because estate owner Gilberto Baraona's passion for coffee and tireless experimentation with varieties and processing methods. With over 90 different coffee varieties and 8 different processing methods, Los Pirineos has become almost an experimental farm favored by roasters.

Los Pirineos is located at the highest elevations of the Tecapa Volcano in southeastern El Salvador, named after the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. Gilberto Baraona's family has operated this estate since 1890, for over a hundred years.

Los Pirineos is a beautiful estate with excellent microclimate conditions, slow cherry maturation, good rainfall, and fertile volcanic soil. The processing station is located between two mountains with excellent sunlight and ventilation, making it ideal for uniform drying.

Over the past five years, Gilberto has replanted 200,000 coffee trees, investing great enthusiasm in improving coffee cultivation, harvesting, and processing methods. Since 2012, he has built more raised beds with shade netting, allowing for a gentler and longer drying process. In addition to the original Bourbon, Typica, Pacas, and Pacamara varieties, he plans to produce 10 new varieties by 2017, including Orange Pacamara, Geisha, Heirloom Bourbon, Laurina, Java, and Kenya. At altitudes below 1,200 meters, he produces new hybrids including Castillo Naranjal, Costa Rica 95, Lempira, Obata, and Casiopea.

All cherries are harvested by hand, collecting only ripe cherries. However, after harvesting and before processing, they undergo another screening process to remove underripe or overripe beans. All pulp and skin generated during processing are recycled and used, catalyzed by California red worms as organic compost material, which is returned to the coffee trees. Los Pirineos has Rainforest Alliance certification and was one of the first estates in El Salvador to receive this certification. All rainwater undergoes natural filtration.

Gilberto's Honey Processing

Gilberto's approach to honey processing is distinctive. During the depulping stage, he retains all the mucilage and places it directly on African raised beds. Different honey processes - Yellow Honey, Red Honey, and Black Honey - are primarily distinguished by different drying methods.

Taking this Pacamara Yellow Honey as an example, after removing the pulp, it's placed on African raised beds for full sun exposure. However, during the first three days, it must be turned every twenty minutes, followed by 10 turns daily until the moisture content reaches 12%, resulting in a very sweet yellow honey flavor.

For Red Honey, there is no turning during the first three days, allowing for more intense fermentation, causing the beans to turn red and stick together, followed by 10 turns daily. Black Honey is different again - during the first three days, it's turned every 20 minutes but under shade, followed by 10 turns daily. Black Honey drying is slower, producing chocolate flavors.

El Salvador Los Pirineos Pacamara Yellow Honey

Country of Origin: El Salvador

Region: Berlín, Usulután; Tecapa-Chinameca

Estate: Los Pirineos

Estate Owner: Gilberto Baraona

Processing Station: El Beneficio Los Pirineos

Area: 150 hectares

Altitude: 1,550 meters

Variety: Pacamara

Processing Method: Yellow Honey

Awards: 8-time Cup of Excellence winner in El Salvador, 5th place in 2012

Certification: Rainforest Alliance Certified

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

V60 filter cup, 15g coffee grounds, water temperature 90°C, grind setting 3, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

30g water for bloom, bloom time 30s

Segmented brewing: Pour water to 110ml, wait until water level drops to 1/3, then slowly pour water to 225ml and stop.

That is 30-125-225g

Other Drip Extraction Suggestions:

French Press: Recommended grind setting 3.5-4, water temperature 90°C

AeroPress: Recommended grind setting 2.5, water temperature 90°C

Pour-over: Grind setting 3.5, water temperature 91°C

Grind setting 3.5, water temperature 90°C

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