How to Make Pour-Over El Salvador Loma La Gloria Estate Red Bourbon Coffee_SHG-loma Introduction

Loma La Gloria Estate

SHG - Loma El Salvador

El Salvador lies in northwestern Central America, bordered by Guatemala to the west and northwest, Honduras to the east and northeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The Gulf of Fonseca in the southeast is shared by El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

SHG: Strictly High Grown — Central America uses elevation as a grading standard. Coffee grown above 4,500 feet (roughly 1,350 meters) is labeled SHG; depending on the country, some use SHB instead.

El Salvador's terrain is dominated by mountains and plateaus with many volcanoes. It has a tropical savanna climate — tropical rainforest in the plains, subtropical forest in the mountains. Average annual temperatures run 25–28°C, and mountain areas receive over 1,800mm of rain a year, providing naturally fertile soil and favorable conditions for coffee cultivation.

The Loma La Gloria Estate sits on the slopes of the San Salvador volcano, overlooking the Coatepeque Valley. The estate enjoys a unique location and microclimate: fertile volcanic-ash soil, cool nights, ample sunlight, and good rainwater drainage. Red Bourbon and Pacamara are the main varieties grown here.

When brewed, the estate's Bourbon and Pacamara open with tropical fruit notes — but without sharp fruit acidity. Instead they offer a more substantial dried-fruit sweetness. The overall profile is balanced yet never monotonous: within that balance you can pick out various acidic and bitter tones, none of them dominant. The aftertaste carries rich nut and chocolate qualities. The whole cup is very clean — none of the smoky notes typical of Mandheling — making it genuinely refreshing.

Coffee Details

Region: Finca Loma La Gloria, El Salvador

Harvest Period: November - March

Grade: SHG Premium

Variety: Red Bourbon

Altitude: 1,450m - 1,650m

Processing Method: Washed

Flavor Profile: Roasted Walnut, Sweet and Sour Starfruit, Toffee, White Chocolate, Sweet Mashed Potato, Clean

How to Brew El Salvador Coffee [Loma La Gloria Estate Micro-lot Red Bourbon]

FrontStreet Coffee pour-over reference: Weigh out 15g of Loma La Gloria Estate Micro-lot Red Bourbon and grind to a medium consistency, slightly coarser than table salt. We use a BG grinder at setting 5R (60% standard sieve pass rate), water at 89°C, extracted on a V60 dripper.

Pour hot water from the gooseneck kettle in clockwise circles, starting from the center of the dripper. Begin timing as you start to brew. Within 15 seconds, reach 30g, then stop pouring. When the timer reaches 1 minute, begin the second pour. As with the first, move in clockwise circles from the center, avoiding the seam where the grounds meet the filter paper to prevent channeling.

When you reach the outermost edge of the grounds, leave a small margin, then spiral back toward the center. At 2 minutes 20 seconds you should reach 220g total, completing the pour-over.

Japanese-style Iced Pour-Over [Loma La Gloria Estate Micro-lot Red Bourbon]

FrontStreet Coffee iced pour-over reference:

El Salvador Loma La Gloria Estate Micro-lot Red Bourbon, medium roast, BG grinder setting 5M (67% standard sieve pass rate)

20g of coffee, 150g of ice, 150g of hot water. Set the water temperature 1°C above the usual 90°C recommendation. Grind slightly finer than normal — Fuji 3 instead of Fuji 3.5.

Bloom with 40g of water for 30 seconds.

Stage the pours: first pour 60g of water, second pour 40g. Use a thin but tall water column with forceful agitation to make the grounds roll thoroughly — but be careful not to let the liquid level rise too high or touch the filter paper at the edges.

Total extraction time should be roughly 2.5 minutes (similar to a normal 20g brew).

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this balanced, nutty Salvadoran profile suits you, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon is a natural next step: low acidity, dense with nut and cocoa aromas and a clear caramel sweetness, silky on the palate and equally at home in pour-over, espresso, or a moka pot.

For the classic deep-roast companion, FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Golden Mandheling offers herbal, dark chocolate, and caramel notes with a long, thick body — a good match for those who found the Loma La Gloria's dried-fruit sweetness appealing but want even more weight in the cup.