Encountering Kenya in El Salvador! El Salvador Finca Los Olivos SL28 Pour-Over Parameters

Olive Tree Farm, El Salvador Coffee Estate (KENYA SL28)

Olive Tree Farm began cultivating coffee in 1930, in the Santa Ana volcanic region of El Salvador.

The farm sits around El Salvador's famous "LOS VOLCANES" (Volcanoes) National Park. Rare volcanic flowers grow around the farm, along with wildlife from the park such as deer, raccoons, and wild boars, forming an interesting ecological chain.

Because the farm lies on a volcano, it has extremely fertile volcanic terrain. In 2006 the Ilamatepec volcano erupted and volcanic ash covered the farm directly. Although the plantation was damaged at the time, a few years later the fertile ash gave the farm an even more nutritious growing environment.

Olive Tree Farm is cultivated using El Salvador's century-old traditional methods. Local Inga trees, pomelo trees, and olive trees serve as shade, with over 75 tree species interplanted to form a natural forest threaded with coffee trees. Together with the volcanic soil, this nourishes a beautiful coffee plantation.

SL28 is a Kenyan variety that the farm obtained from friends with some difficulty and planted on the estate. In volcanic soil at 1,800-1,950 meters, and unlike the wild tones of Africa, grown in El Salvador it shows gentle tropical fruits such as peach, sweet citrus, white peach, passion fruit, and sweet orange, combined with almond tea, an infusion-like fruit-tea character, and a soft sweet aftertaste. It is a coffee that is both gentle and unrestrained.

Farm Information:

Location: Santa Ana, El Salvador

Variety: KENYA SL28

Altitude: 1,800-1,950m

Processing Method: Washed, African Bed Natural

Cupping Notes: Peach, sweet citrus, white peach, passion fruit, sweet orange, combined with almond tea, an infusion-like fruit-tea character, and a soft sweet aftertaste

How to Brew El Salvador Coffee [Olive Tree Farm Kenya SL28] Well?

FrontStreet Coffee's pour-over recommendation: weigh 15g of Olive Tree Farm Kenya SL28 coffee powder and grind it medium, with the particles slightly coarser than table salt. FrontStreet uses BG grinder setting 5R (60% pass rate on a standard sieve), water at 89°C, and a V60 filter cup for extraction.

Use the hot water in the pour-over kettle to draw circles clockwise around the center of the filter cup. Start timing when brewing begins. In 15 seconds, brew the coffee to 30g, then stop pouring. When the time reaches 1 minute, pour the second time, again drawing circles clockwise around the center of the filter cup. The water stream should not hit where the coffee powder meets the filter paper, to avoid channeling.

When you reach the outermost circle of coffee powder, leave one circle and then pour circle by circle back toward the center. At 2 minutes 20 seconds, brew to 220g, and the pour is complete.

Japanese-Style Ice Pour-Over [Olive Tree Farm Kenya SL28]

FrontStreet Coffee's ice pour-over recommendation for Olive Tree Farm Kenya SL28:

El Salvador coffee Olive Tree Farm Kenya SL28, medium roast, BG grinder setting 5M (67% pass rate on a standard sieve).

20g of powder, 150g of ice cubes, 150g of hot water. The water temperature should be 1°C higher than the normal pour-over recommendation of 90°C. Normal grinding uses small Fuji setting 3.5, while ice pour-over uses a slightly finer small Fuji setting 3.

Bloom with 40g of water for 30 seconds.

Pour in segments: a first segment of 60g of water and a second segment of 40g. Use a relatively fine but tall water column with forceful stirring impact so the coffee powder tumbles fully, but be careful that the liquid level does not rise too high and does not hit the filter paper at the edge.

The entire extraction takes about 2.5 minutes, similar to the normal extraction time for 20g of powder.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For a floral, fruit-forward coffee like this SL28, FrontStreet Coffee's first pick is the Hario V60, a dripper Hario of Tokyo redesigned in 2004 around a 60-degree cone and a single large hole; since the flow rate is set by the pour rather than the filter, it is ideal for coffees with layered floral and fruit notes. FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui is intensely tropical, with strawberry, passion fruit, and jackfruit and very little bitterness. FrontStreet Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gudingding leads with bright citrus, berry, and floral aromas and a green-tea sweetness.

For a brighter, juicier cup, FrontStreet Kenya Cherry Tomato from Thika, grown at 1,550-1,750 meters on SL28 and SL34, brings cherry-tomato and dried-plum acidity with a full, juicy body, and it is a natural match for the same Kenyan variety grown in El Salvador. And for a wine-balanced, high-grown option, FrontStreet Panama Esmeralda Red Label is harvested from a single plot above 1,700 meters, cups above 91 points, and shows a refined orange-blossom honey character, while FrontStreet Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise, a Typica grown at 1,600-1,800 meters on volcanic soil and washed three times, is clean, sweet, and full-bodied. Brew any of them around 15g at a 1:15 ratio, adjusting the grind until the bed drains evenly.