El Salvador Santa Ana Volcanic Region | Finca La Reforma | Finca Loma Verde | Borbollón Processing Plant Washed Red Bourbon

El Salvador Santa Ana Volcano Region | Green Hills Estate El Borbollon Mill Washed Red Bourbon

Active volcanic activity brings mineral-rich volcanic ash to El Salvador. The soil, dominated by volcanic ash, contains more minerals and less organic matter. So to maintain soil fertility and make up for the lack of organic matter, Salvadoran farmers use processed coffee pulp residue or organic matter under the coffee trees as fertilizer, supplementing the deficient organic matter and enabling the trees to produce better-balanced beans. El Salvador's most significant initiative has been introducing organic agriculture to the world, cultivating over 150,000 tons of organic coffee annually.

El Salvador coffee has five major producing regions (Apaneca, Central Belt, Chichontepec, Tecapa and Cacahuatique Mountain Range), mostly distributed on high mountain slopes or plateau areas above 1,200 meters covered with volcanic ash. November to April of the following year is the coffee harvest and picking season. Since coffee prefers mild climates, Salvadoran trees are mostly grown under tall, shade-providing trees (shade grown coffee) to avoid excessive temperatures and direct sunlight that could affect bean quality. The beans produced belong to the Arabica species, with Pacas and Bourbon varieties being predominant, featuring large beans with sweet flavor and an excellent taste.

El Borbollon Mill is owned by the Alvarez family, who have been growing coffee in El Salvador for over 100 years and are now managed by the fourth generation. The mill's coffee comes from two nearby estates: Finca La Reforma and El Cerro. Finca La Reforma was founded in 1892 by Rafael Alvarez Lalinde, and both the estate and the mill are owned by the same family. El Borbollon Mill is currently managed by Eduardo Alvarez. In 2011, Finca La Reforma, owned by the Alvarez family, won third place in El Salvador's Cup of Excellence (CoE) national competition. The family is most famous for the El Borbollon processing plant. Finca La Reforma is located in the Santa Ana Volcano region, where Santa Ana Mountain's volcanic nutrients and unique climate provide abundant resources for coffee. It is precisely because of the volcano that excellent terrain and climate exist, enabling the production of superior coffee. The Alvarez family has made significant contributions to the local community, providing free medical care and basic educational facilities for their employees. Flavor characteristics: herbal plant aromas such as lemon balm and lemongrass, almond and walnut, milk chocolate, with very soft fruit acidity and a clean almond aroma in both front and back notes.

Coffee Origin Details

Region: Santa Ana Volcano Region

Estate: Finca La Reforma & El Borbollon Mill

Variety: Red Bourbon

Altitude: 1,300 to 1,500 meters

Grade: SHB (Strictly Hard Bean)

Processing Method: Washed

Harvest Period: October to February of the following year

El Borbollon Mill Award Records:

2010 Cup of Excellence 10th place

2009 Cup of Excellence 20th place

2008 Cup of Excellence 5th place and 23rd place

2007 Cup of Excellence 20th place

2005 Cup of Excellence 3rd place

Flavor: Fresh cantaloupe aromatic green beans, quality wine acidity, very juicy fruit sweetness, syrup-like sweetness and texture, purple grapes, cherry juice, complex berry flavors with delicate natural processed notes, refreshing natural processed El Salvador green beans.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee grounds. First infusion with 25g water, bloom for 25 seconds. Second infusion to 120g water, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue slow pouring until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly define the front, middle and back flavor notes of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and a faster drainage speed, pausing during pouring can help extend the extraction time.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Washed coffees like this Red Bourbon reward clean, transparent brewing, and if you want another example of how much clarity the washed process can deliver, FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Gedingding is worth trying. It follows the most traditional washed processing, so the coffee's inherent aromas come through clearly: citrus and lemon notes with elegant white florals and a bright, delicate overall profile.

For a washed Kenyan comparison, FrontStreet Kenya Little Tomato is a well-known representative built on a double-washed process. Repeated washing and soaking bring out an extreme juiciness, with flavors of cherry tomato, smoked plum, snow pear, black plum and yellow sugar, and a sweet-sour, juicy body that many coffee fans love.

If you want a washed bean defined by balance, FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is the reference point. Grown in a maritime climate where shorter sunlight hours encouraged the washed process, it keeps a rich aroma and shows pure hazelnut, cream, chocolate and caramel notes with a balanced body no single flavor dominates or lacks.