El Salvador H.I.Q Malacara Estate LC 2 Farm | Bourbon Honey Process Coffee Beans

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Salvador: The Small but Mighty Coffee Nation

El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. Coffee beans are the main crop in most regions, but don't let its miniature size make you overlook its existence. In El Salvador, 60% of the coffee is of the Bourbon varietal, including orange, pink, and red Bourbon. The Bourbon varietal is known to the world for its excellent clarity, bright口感, and sweet taste. Notably, El Salvador is the birthplace of Pacas and Pacamara coffee tree varieties. Coffee beans are harvested only once a year, between November and February of the following year, so new harvest coffee typically reaches foreign coffee buyers between June and August. Compared to coffee farms in other Central and South American countries, most Salvadoran farms are medium-sized. Farmers embrace unparalleled passion and professional skills to produce high-quality coffee cherries, making the coffee export market flourish and consequently maintaining and improving coffee bean quality. As Salvadorans say, you'll smile with just one sip of coffee.

H.I.Q: High Quality Coffee Development Program

H.I.Q (High Quality), as the name suggests, represents high-quality coffee beans and is a development program designed to help improve the quality of small farms. Similar in nature to Ethiopia's Red Cherry Project, H.I.Q seeks out micro, varietal, processing method, and climate-specific high-quality farms, then educates farmers to meet H.I.Q production standards, including measuring the sugar content of coffee cherries and maintaining friendly, organic, and environmentally friendly production practices. Under the program, farms construct and update processing equipment to ensure the entire process meets H.I.Q standards. However, only coffee scoring above 85 points in cupping can be called H.I.Q coffee. Currently, H.I.Q has cooperative and guided farms in El Salvador, Panama, and Ethiopia (Taiwan once invited H.I.Q personnel to guide Alishan coffee production). The coffee produced is rare and unique, highlighting its differences from regular coffee and better meeting consumer demands. (The program director is the owner of Panama's Los Lajones farm).

Malacara Estate LC 2 Farm: A Rising Star

El Salvador's H.I.Q Malacara Estate LC 2 Farm is an emerging Bourbon honey-processed coffee bean. The estate was founded in 1888, and José Guillermo Alvarez Prunera, who currently manages the farm, and his sister are fourth-generation coffee growers. In the early twentieth century, they produced the best coffee in El Salvador. Today, there are five farms providing 20 permanent jobs, which can expand to 100 people during the harvest period. Within the farm community, there is a school, a clinic, and some sports facilities for employees to use free of charge. Due to its excellent quality, small production, and strict production processes, MALACARA is the second Cup of Excellence Presidential Award Winner, an award-winning estate in the Salvador Cupping Competition. Coffee is sold to the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Property Characteristics

Farm Name: Malacara LC 2

Farmer: Francisco Arturo Alvarez Meza

Grade: S.H.B

Awards: Second Salvador Cupping Competition Presidential Award Winner

City: Apaneca-Ilamatepec

Region: Volcan Santa Ana, Santa Ana

Country: El Salvador

Farm Size: 47.6 Hectares

Coffee Growing Area: 45.5 Hectares

Altitude: 1,400 meters

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: Bourbon

Processing System: Honey processing, African raised beds

Flowering Period: June - August

Harvest Period: November and February (once a year)

Top Jury Descriptions: Cupping roast level is 60 seconds after first crack begins (Cinnamon)

Aroma/Flavor: Olive, grass, almond, peach, grape, vanilla, nuts, hazelnut, caramel, chocolate, honey, sugarcane

Acidity: Delicate fruit acidity, persimmon, mild low acidity, high consistency

Complexity & Other: Smooth and gentle, silky without astringency, very sweet, low complexity, floral and fruity notes coexist, smooth acid-to-sweet transition, persistent sweet aftertaste, oolong tea aroma when cooled

Cupping Scores and Overall Evaluation

Cupping Date: 2011.10.17

Dry Aroma: 10

Wet Aroma: 9

Cleanliness: 9

Brightness: 8

Mouthfeel: 10

Balance: 9

Complexity: 9

Sweetness: 9

Acidity: 9

Aftertaste: 10

Cupping Score: 92

Overall Evaluation: H.I.Q is a program that promotes the production of high-quality coffee. Each coffee under its program has its own rare and unique story. El Salvador's honey-processed Malacara Estate LC 2 Farm is a fourth-generation, century-old farm producing small quantities of Bourbon honey-processed beans. It's a fine coffee with delicate aftertaste, exceptional sweetness, and tea-like aroma.

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473