El Salvador - La Concordia Harmony Farm Natural Process Pacas & Bourbon Flavor Profile

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Flavor Profile of El Salvador - La Concordia Farm Natural Process Pacas and Bourbon

El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America, rich in natural ecosystems and diverse species. Coffee cultivation began as early as 1740, with coffee beans becoming the main crop in most regions. The infrastructure throughout the country is well-developed, and farmers possess immense passion and professional expertise to produce high-quality coffee that has thrived in export markets. As Salvadorans say, "One sip of Salvadoran coffee will make you smile."

Coffee is harvested only once a year, between November and February. New harvest beans typically reach foreign markets between June and August. In El Salvador, 60% of the coffee is Bourbon varieties, including orange, pink, and red Bourbon. Notably, El Salvador is the origin of Pacas and Pacamara coffee varieties. La Concordia Farm is a small-yield estate that maintains long-term partnerships with international coffee merchants. Information about this coffee can only be found from the BN-14 code on the bean bags and documentation provided by foreign coffee merchants, indicating it's natural process coffee from La Concordia Farm.

The natural process beans from El Salvador's Concordia Farm are of exceptional quality. "Concordia" means "harmony" in Spanish. The farm, along with the Sincuyo Shangri-La cooperative farm, belongs to the ACOES cooperative in the Tacuba region. In 2008, it received Fair Trade certification, establishing closer collaboration and procurement models. Fair Trade funding enables the protection of natural resources, construction of better infrastructure including offices, warehouses, farmer kitchens, and ecological processing facilities, ultimately improving the livelihood environment for all members. Currently, there are 19 members, certified by North America's UCRAPROBEX and Germany's BCS certification bodies, and the farm is now part of the Good Farms program under H.I.U.

Farm Information

Farm Name: La Concordia (Concordia Farm)

Farmer: Expresso S.A. de C.V.

City: Tacuba

Region: Volcan de San Salvador (San Salvador Volcanic Region)

Country: El Salvador

Farm Size: 19 small coffee farmers

Coffee Growing Area: 34 Hectares

Altitude: 1,250 - 1,400 meters

Annual Precipitation: 2,500 - 2,700 mm

Soil: Volcanic clay

Type of Shade Trees: 48 species of shade trees

Certification: Fair Trade, Germany BCS Certification, North America UCRAPROBEX

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: Arabica, Bourbon and Pacas

Processing System: Natural processing, African raised beds

Appearance: 17-18 screen

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

Aroma/Flavor: Pineapple, mango, strawberry, banana, vanilla, honey, guava, fruit ice cream, milk, chocolate

Acidity: Plum, prune, peach, blueberry, low complexity, mild low acidity, without traditional Salvadoran tartaric acid

Complexity and Other Notes: Very sweet, honey cake sweetness, no earthy flavors, fruit-forward mellow character, all coffee flavors are fruity and sweet, tender mouthfeel, clear with smooth texture, the tropical fruit sweetness of pineapple and guava dominates the aftertaste

Flavor Profile: Fruity, very sweet, banana and pineapple are prominent flavors. The green bean aroma of banana, pineapple, passion fruit, and sorghum wine intertwining is an olfactory delight. The final aftertaste of the brew is like the afterglow of sunset, somewhat intoxicating.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 15g coffee grounds. First pour: 25g water, 25s bloom. Second pour: up to 120g water, then pause. Wait until the water level drops to half, then continue slow pouring until reaching 225g total. Total extraction time: around 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly express the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing during pouring helps extend the extraction time.