Introduction to El Salvador's Finca Lover's Estate: Chocolate Lover Single Origin Coffee Flavor

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El Salvador Santa Ana

Estate: Finca Guayabo Chocolate Lover Estate

Variety: Bourbon

Altitude: 1450m

Grade: SHB

Processing Method: 50% washed, 50% honey processed

Bean Information

El Salvador is one of the smaller countries in Central America with a very dense population. Its coffee flavor characteristics are extremely well-balanced. In the Cuscacbapa region of El Salvador, packaged coffee beans are ready for export. Salvadoran coffee is a specialty of Central America, characterized by its light body, aroma, purity, and slight acidity. Like Guatemala and Costa Rica, Salvadoran coffee is graded by altitude - the higher the altitude, the better the coffee. The best brand is Pipil, which is the Aztec-Mayan name for coffee and has obtained organic certification from the Organic Certified Institute of America. Another rare coffee is Pacamara, a hybrid variety of Pacas and Maragogype coffees. The best production area for this coffee is located in western El Salvador, adjacent to Santa Ana near the Guatemalan border. Pacamara coffee beans are full and have a milder aroma.

El Salvador has six major coffee-producing regions, all located on high mountain slopes or plateau areas covered by volcanic ash at altitudes above 1,200 meters. November to April of the following year is the coffee harvesting and picking season. Since coffee prefers mild climates, Salvadoran coffee trees are mostly grown under tall, shade-providing trees (shade-grown coffee) to avoid excessive temperatures and direct sunlight exposure that could affect coffee bean quality. The coffee beans produced belong to the Arabica species, with Pacas and Bourbon varieties being the main ones. These are large beans with sweet flavors and excellent taste profiles. Santa Ana Volcano is a volcano in El Salvador's Santa Ana region, with an altitude of 2,381 meters, making it the country's highest volcano. The summit of Santa Ana Volcano features four nested calderas and craters, with a small volcanic lake in the center.

Estate Introduction

Chocolate Lover Estate EL GUAYABO is a farm located in the Santa Ana volcanic belt of El Salvador, at an altitude of 1,300-1,500 meters, situated on the mountainside of the volcanic zone, extending along the valley. The winding terrain creates microclimates that result in very delicate flavors for the coffee grown here.

This farm primarily grows the Bourbon variety, extending across the entire mountainside. Due to the well-preserved original forest in this area, the coffee plantation often receives visits from nearby birds, reptiles, and other wildlife.

Variety

Bourbon is a subvariety resulting from a mutation of Typica and belongs to the oldest existing coffee varieties along with Typica. When green fruits mature, they display a bright red color. Compared to Typica, Bourbon leaves are broader and growth is denser. Although the yield is higher than Typica, the harvesting period is also two years, making it a low-yield variety. However, it offers excellent taste with wine-like acidity and a sweet aftertaste.

The coffee beans are relatively large in size, uniform, with even color and luster. For harvesting convenience, farmers prune the coffee trees to not exceed 150 centimeters in height.

Processing Method (50% washed, 50% honey processed)

Finca Guayabo primarily uses different post-processing methods to showcase this coffee bean. Using 100% Bourbon variety processed in different ways - 50% honey processed and 50% washed - allows the original Bourbon variety to present different flavors through different processing methods, creating a multi-layered, milk-like smoothness with cocoa chocolate tones, hence the name "Chocolate Lover."

The honey processing method involves transporting the coffee beans to a honey processing facility at approximately 1,800 meters altitude. Processing at lower altitudes is done because this area is less prone to fog, with sufficient sunlight and strong UV radiation, allowing the coffee beans to absorb enough heat to develop excellent aroma. This enables the coffee to dry quickly while better presenting its flavors.

The washed method utilizes the abundant water resources in this region to give the coffee a very clean taste. Combining 50% honey processing with 50% washed processing creates a distinctive single-origin coffee that represents the flavor profile this estate aims to express - filling the coffee with notes of chocolate, cocoa, and nuts, hence naming it the "Chocolate Lover" series.

Roasting Analysis

When FrontStreet Coffee's roasters received the green beans for this [El Salvador Santa Ana], they observed that the beans had relatively high density. During the roasting process, they used medium heat to extend the dehydration time of the beans. After the first crack, they appropriately extended the caramelization reaction, making the sweetness of the beans more prominent in the flavor profile.

Roasting machine: Yangjia 800N (roasting amount: 300 grams)

Charge temperature: 180°C, heat: 125, damper: 3; Return point at 1'39", when furnace temperature reached 140°C, damper adjusted to 3.5, heat adjusted to 100; when furnace temperature reached 151.2°C, bean surface turned yellow, grassy smell completely disappeared, entering dehydration stage. When furnace temperature reached 156°C, heat adjusted to 80, damper unchanged; when furnace temperature reached 166°C, heat adjusted to 50, damper unchanged. After first crack, damper adjusted to 5.

At 8'38", ugly wrinkles and black spots appeared on the bean surface, toast smell obviously turned to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 9'25", first crack begins, damper opens to 5. After first crack, develop for 2'00", discharge at 194.1°C.

Agtron bean color value is 71.7 (left image), Agtron powder color value is 85.5 (right image), Roast Delta value is 13.8.

Cupping Analysis

Cupping flavors: nuts, dark chocolate, cream, berries, caramel

1. Flavor descriptions vary from person to person and are influenced by water temperature and brewing methods. This cupping report provides descriptions based on the flavor wheel limitations under the same brewing equipment and parameters, intended for reference only.

2. Content will be promptly corrected based on new information. The latest updates shall prevail.

Brewing Sharing

When brewing, we considered that these beans are medium-light roasted, so the editor decided to use the V60 dripper for extraction, adopting a segmented approach to showcase the layered texture of these beans in terms of mouthfeel.

Recommended brewing method: Pour-over

Dripper: V60

Water temperature: 88-90°C

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: BG -6T (Chinese standard 20-mesh sieve pass rate 57%), i.e., medium-fine grind

Brewing technique: Segmented extraction. Use 33g of water for 30-second bloom, then pour in small circular motions to 127g for segmentation. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 228g and stop. Wait for the water level to drop and just before exposing the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from bloom) Extraction time: 1'58".

Flavor: Aroma has fruity and nutty notes. Entry shows nuts, cream, caramel, with berry and citrus acidity in the aftertaste. Overall mouthfeel is quite balanced.

END

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