Flavor and Characteristics of SHB Geisha Coffee Beans from El Manzano Farm in El Salvador? El Manzan

Flavor and Characteristics of El Manzano Farm's SHB Geisha Coffee Beans

This strictly high-grown plantation was established by Cornelio Lemus in 1872, 16 kilometers southwest of Santa Ana city, in Las Cruces in the western part of the country. It now belongs to Margarita Diaz Lopez, the founder's great-granddaughter. The farm is home to the state-of-the-art Beneficio De Manzano, established in 2005 by CuatroM Single Origin Coffees. Founded by Mr. Cornelio Lemus, great-grandfather of Margarita Lucía Díaz de López, the estate has remained in the family for five generations. In 2004, Margarita's son, Emilio Lopez Diaz, began overseeing and managing El Manzano. The farm was initially planted with Red Bourbon and underwent major transformation in recent years after rust attacked it. In 2012, Pacas and Pacamara were introduced, followed by Caturra in 2014 and SL-34 in 2015. In 2016 and 2017 renewal continued with the addition of Yellow Catuaí and Ethiopian heirloom varieties, which will soon join El Manzano's lineup as well.

The plantation has rich, fertile volcanic soil and spans over 70 acres, and it also features a "Beneficio" for coffee processing. Temperatures range from 17-33°C from April to October and 7-22°C from November to March.

As for varieties, the plantation was initially planted with 100% Typica. Because of its low productivity, it was interplanted with Bourbon. Since 2004, new varieties have been replanted. About 90% of the area is planted with Bourbon, with the rest in Pacamara, Yellow Bourbon, Typica, and Kenyan varieties.

All milling is completed at the state-of-the-art Beneficio El Manzano, located within the farm. The facility has a capacity of approximately 600 tons of green export coffee, primarily high-end specialty coffee, with a focus on natural, honey, and fully washed processes. It is also used by various institutions for CQI's newly launched Q-Processing courses, and the Pinhalense milling equipment manufacturer tests and develops new high-end coffee equipment here.

Finca La Cumbre and Beneficio El Manzano are fully operated and managed by a completely vertically integrated coffee group called Cuatro M Cafes, which operates in El Salvador, the United States, and Brazil. Its operations include brands such as Finca Ayutepeque, Fazenda Santana, Topeca Coffee, and Odyssey Coffees.

Farm Information

Producer Name: Margarita Lucía Díaz de López

Farm Name: El Manzano

Farm Altitude: 1300 - 1500 masl

City: Chalchuapa

Region: Santa Ana (Cordillera Apaneca - Ilamatepec)

Lot Altitude: 1300m

Lot Variety: Gesha

Planting Year: 2015

Soil Type: Volcanic

Slope Orientation: North-facing

Average Temperature: Low 11°C, High 25°C

Average Rainfall: 1,700-2,200 mm/year

Weed Control: Mechanical weed control only (no herbicides)

Wet Milling Process: Sun-dried after washing

Process: Natural (non-pulped)

Drying Process: Raised beds for 13 days

Harvest Months: December 2018 / February 2019

Farm Size: 89 hectares

Flavor Profile

Juicy sweet orange and orange acidity, with a slight lime texture in the middle, caramel and peanut notes, and plum together with interesting rooibos herbal characters new to this season's harvest. Pacamara and Bourbon varieties, washed process. Finca El Manzano sits at altitudes of 1,300 to 1,550 meters, with Beneficio also located on the farm. Cuatro M is family-owned and operated by Emilio Lopez Diaz, with a buying relationship dating to 2008. El Manzano lies on the northern slope of the Santa Ana volcano.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Pour-Over Method:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji grinder setting 4

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g of coffee grounds, first pour with 25g of water for a 25s pre-infusion, second pour to 120g then pause, wait until the water level drops to half before continuing to pour, slowly pouring until reaching 225g total, extraction time around 2:00.

Analysis: A three-stage brew clearly distinguishes the front, middle, and back-end flavors. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains faster, pausing during the pour extends the extraction time, better drawing out the nutty and chocolate notes in the finish.

Flavor: Multi-layered and overall clean with a lighter mouthfeel, a persistent caramel sweetness in the aftertaste, and a hint of bitterness.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

El Manzano's Geisha lot shows how much a single variety can transform with careful farming, and if that floral, sweet-tart Geisha profile is what you are after, FrontStreet Coffee's Grana Estate Geisha is a fine companion. From a rare, single-variety farm at the border of Ethiopia's Kochere and Gelana Abaya production areas, it is hand-picked, dried on raised beds for 14-20 days, and medium-light roasted to bring out bright citrus acidity, elegant ginger-lily aromatics, and full ripe-fruit sweetness with a delicate, signature Geisha finish.

For the benchmark expression of the variety, FrontStreet Coffee's Esmeralda Estate Red Label ("Esmeralda Special") grows at 1,600-1,800 meters, cups above 90 points in every lot, and carries its own single-plot lot number, while the Green Label ("Private Collection") blends several plots into a more affordable take on the estate's high-altitude Geisha character. FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Village lots from Ethiopia, meanwhile, offer the origin's own Geisha expressions the Gold Label from the Geisha 1931 variety and the Red Label from the Gori Gesha variety, both with refined natural processing.