2012 Cup of Excellence Champion | El Salvador Santa Ana Region | Finca Los Andes Fully Washed SL28

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2012 Cup of Excellence Champion | El Salvador Santa Ana Region | Flavor Profile of Fully Washed SL28 from Los Andes Farm

Ernesto Menéndez is a very renowned coffee farmer in El Salvador. He owns several farms, including La Illusion, Los Andes, and Las Brumas. These three farms have impressive award records: La Ilusion won the El Salvador Cup of Excellence championship in 2008, Los Andes placed 5th in 2010, and Las Brumas won the championship in 2012!

Los Andes Farm is located in the Canton of Palo Campana, about an hour's drive from Santa Ana, with an average altitude of 1,720 meters. It is situated in the heart of the Ilamatepec volcanic zone, surrounded by the National Park Los Andes, which is how the farm got its name. The surrounding wildlife, including birds, fish, and animals, along with the lush pine and cypress trees in the national park, provide excellent microclimate conditions for the farm, greatly benefiting coffee cultivation.

SL28 is quite rare in El Salvador, but Menéndez grows this Kenyan variety on both his Las Brumas and Los Andes farms. When he acquired the farm in 2009, he discovered this special variety at Los Andes and was very fond of it. Las Brumas originally only had Bourbon varieties, and the SL28 planted there came entirely from Los Andes. The batch used by Dale Harris this time is a special selection of SL28 from Las Brumas.

More than 60 years ago, the previous owner of Los Andes planted the Kenyan coffee variety SL28 in the farm. These were seeds he brought back from a trip to Kenya, and they grew very healthily and vigorously in the garden. After Ernesto took over the farm, he won 5th place in the 2010 Cup of Excellence with this special Kenyan variety!

Ernesto not only strictly requires ripeness during harvest but also implements two manual sorting processes to eliminate unqualified cherries. They are then immediately sent to the processing plant at another farm, San Carlos, for washing. After depulping, they are fermented for 16 hours, washed with clean water to remove the parchment, and finally placed on African raised beds for sun-drying until the moisture content reaches 11.00%.

Drop loved this coffee so much that they purchased all the SL28 produced by Los Andes Farm. Joanna spoke about owner Menéndez: "When we cupped his coffee in Ernesto's laboratory, we witnessed his profound coffee knowledge, covering everything from cultivation, processing, packaging, roasting considerations, and cupping. We are very excited to have his coffee!" When Drop visited Los Andes Farm, owner Menéndez explained in detail how El Salvador came to have this rare Kenyan variety and the overall condition of the farm, which is a rare and valuable video.

Coffee Details

Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range; Santa Ana

Farm: Los Andes Farm

Washing Station: San Carlos

Producer: Ernesto Menéndez

Altitude: 1,720 meters

Variety: SL28 Kenyan Variety

Processing Method: Fully Washed

Award Records: 2008 Cup of Excellence Champion (La Illusion); 2010 Cup of Excellence 5th Place (Los Andes); 2012 Cup of Excellence Champion (Las Brumas)

Flavor Profile: Sweet white grape, lemon juice acidity, creamy smooth texture

FrontStreet Coffee Recommends Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90-91°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal R440 grind setting 3.5 (64% pass-through rate on China #20 sieve)

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, using 15g of coffee grounds. First pour 25g of water and let it bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour to 120g and stop pouring. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total. Extraction time should be around 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, stopping the flow can help extend the extraction time.

Important Notice :

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