Why Does Pour-Over Finca Los Cascabeles Washed Pacamara Coffee Taste Sour? Is Washed Pacamara Delicious?

Introduction to Finca los Cascabeles

Finca los Cascabeles means "bells" in Spanish, hence it's also called "Little Bell Farm." Its flavor profile is reminiscent of "little bells," with delicate sweetness and light floral notes.

The Story of Finca los Cascabeles

It seems logical that the smallest coffee-growing country in Central America could produce micro-batch coffee, but historically, most of El Salvador's coffee was blended and sold to processing plants without much differentiation or separation.

The rise of specialty coffee in El Salvador has inspired many producers to begin distinguishing individual coffee varieties, experimenting with classification and processing to attract buyers and command higher prices, but smaller growers still face some difficulties in accessing these resources.

Finca los Cascabeles covers approximately 5 manzanas, with coffee varieties including Pacamara, Pacas, and Geisha, producing 20-25 quintals annually (1 quintal = 100KG). Farmers only harvest ripe coffee cherries, remove the pulp on the same day of picking, ferment for 14-16 hours, wash, and then dry in the sun for 8-10 days.

Introduction to Pacamara Coffee Variety

Pacamara, a new hybrid born in El Salvador in 1958, is a cross between the Bourbon-derived Pacas and the Typica-derived Maragogype. It combines the advantages of both, yet surpasses them! Pure and gentle, rich and smooth, with lively acidity and full flavor, its aftertaste is remarkably long and impressive.

At the 2005 El Salvador Cup of Excellence, Pacamara stunned everyone. Among the top ten, the Pacamara variety notably claimed the second, fifth, sixth, and seventh positions!

In 2007, Pacamara went on to win the double championship at both the Guatemala and El Salvador Cup of Excellence competitions. Since then, Pacamara has been unstoppable in its award-winning journey, consistently occupying top positions in various competitions and internationally recognized as a rising star variety comparable to Geisha.

Just in the Guatemala Cup of Excellence alone, Pacamara has claimed the championship throne for 7 out of 10 years from 2008 to 2017.

Due to Pacamara's extraordinary performance in competitions, in 2017, the BOP (Best of Panama) international competition committee decided to create a separate category for the Pacamara variety.

However, despite its meteoric rise, this coffee variety still has drawbacks: Pacamara has higher requirements for soil, climate, environment, and altitude, plus low yields and poor resistance to leaf rust disease, resulting in limited cultivation popularity.

Today, although Pacamara is no longer particularly rare, it still isn't a very common bean in the market. Especially, Pacamaras from Guatemala and El Salvador are considered superior, with many international admirers, making it even more difficult to obtain them domestically.

Processing Method Introduction

Washed Process

In response to the disadvantages of traditional natural processing, the washed method emerged. First, harvested cherries are processed through a depulping machine that separates most of the fruit from the coffee beans. Then they are guided to a clean water tank, soaked in water for fermentation to completely remove the remaining pulp layer. After fermentation completes, they are dried either in the sun or using mechanical methods to reduce moisture content to 12%. Since the washed method has already removed the pulp, during the drying process, there's no need to worry about mold or insect infestation problems as with natural processing.

(↑ Depulping machine removing fruit pulp) (↑ Soaking in water for fermentation) (↑ Spreading flat for drying)

Natural-processed coffee has rich and full flavors with very distinct and diverse layers, while washed-processed coffee has a very clean and refreshing taste with noticeable fruit acidity. Different processing methods give coffee beans unique aromas.

Roasting Suggestions/Analysis

This coffee variety is the giant bean Pacamara with relatively large particles and high density. New season beans naturally have higher moisture content. During roasting, it absorbs heat relatively slowly, but the Maillard reaction process is quite fast. The yellowing point occurs around 5 minutes. For the first roast, you can try a slightly higher bean drop temperature, for example, 200°C, with the heat also set relatively high, then gradually reduce the heat as needed during roasting: after the beans reach the yellowing point, reduce the heat to extend the dehydration time, allowing the giant beans to dehydrate thoroughly; from completion of dehydration until before first crack, you can appropriately maintain medium heat or slightly increase it to accelerate the Maillard reaction time and ensure pressure before first crack; at the first sign of first crack, appropriately reduce the heat to avoid scorching the bean surface. With this method, the coffee's dehydration time is relatively extended, with a temperature increase rate of 6-8 degrees every thirty seconds, but it can still maintain entering first crack between 8.5 to 9.5 minutes, preserving more floral and fruity aromas while maintaining clean and bright acidity. It's generally recommended to drop the beans between the dense phase of first crack and its end, around medium roast level.

Cupping Flavor Description

Flavor description: Floral notes, lime, grapefruit, nuts, balanced sweet and sour

Brewing Analysis

Today, FrontStreet Coffee introduces the commonly used hand-brew method for Pacamara coffee: V60 three-pour method

Segmented extraction, dividing all brewing water into three pours

Suitable for light roast, light-medium, and medium roast coffee beans

Using V60 dripper

Increasing bloom time or number of pours can enhance the richness of the coffee's mouthfeel

Three-Pour Segmented Extraction Method

Advantages: More layered than single-pour methods, clearly distinguishing the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. The method involves increasing water volume with each pour after blooming, typically pouring when the coffee liquid is about to drop to the powder level surface, using small, medium, and large water flow for three-stage extraction.

Disadvantages: Higher requirements for water flow rate and volume.

FrontStreet Coffee's Pacamara Coffee Hand-Brew Parameter Recommendations

Using a V60 dripper can enhance the layered flavors of hand-brewed coffee, making it richer and cleaner; perfectly expressing the bright and prominent aromas of the Pacamara variety.

15g coffee, water temperature 89-90°C, grind BG 5R (64% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve), water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15-16

Method: 27g water for bloom, bloom time 30s. Pour hot water from the gooseneck kettle clockwise in circles with the center of the filter as the focal point. Start timing when brewing begins, pour to 27g, then stop pouring and wait 30 seconds before the first pour.

For the first pour, circle the same way as before, but you can slightly slow down the speed, accelerating a bit when reaching the outer circle. Stop pouring around 1:15 seconds, and when the liquid level drops by 1/3, pour again. The second pour should concentrate in the center, avoiding contact with where coffee powder meets the filter paper to prevent channeling effects. End extraction around 2:05 seconds, and the tail section can be discarded (the longer the time, the more astringency and roughness will increase).

Segments: 30-125-230g

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473