【FrontStreet Coffee Barista's Notes】El Salvador Santa Ana Chocolate Lover's Estate Coffee Special Report

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El Salvador · Santa Ana

• Farm: Finca Guayabo Chocolate Lover Estate
• Variety: Bourbon
• Altitude: 1450m
• Grade: SHB
• Processing: 50% washed, 50% honey process

Bean Information

Santa Ana Volcano is a volcano in Santa Ana, El Salvador, with an elevation of 2,381 meters, making it the highest volcano in the country. The summit of Santa Ana Volcano features four nested calderas and craters, with small volcanic lakes in between.

El Salvador coffee has six major producing regions, mostly distributed on high mountain slopes or plateau areas covered by volcanic ash at altitudes above 1,200 meters. The coffee harvest season runs from November to April of the following year. Since coffee prefers mild climates, coffee trees in El Salvador are predominantly grown under the shade of tall, dense trees (shade grown coffee) to avoid excessive temperatures and direct sun exposure that could affect coffee bean quality. The coffee beans produced belong to the Arabica species, with Pacas and Bourbon varieties as the main types. These are large beans with sweet flavors and excellent taste profiles.

Estate Introduction

Chocolate Lover Estate EL GUAYABO is a farm located in the Santa Ana volcanic zone of El Salvador, situated at an altitude of 1,300-1,500 meters on the mountainside of the volcanic belt, extending along the valley. The microclimate created by the winding mountain terrain produces coffee with very delicate flavors.

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

Variety

Bourbon is a sub-variety that mutated from Typica, and both belong to the oldest existing coffee varieties. When green fruits mature, they turn bright red. Compared to Typica, Bourbon plants have wider leaves and grow more densely. Although the yield is higher than Typica, the harvest period is still two years, making it a low-yield variety. However, it offers excellent quality with wine-like acidity and a sweet aftertaste.

The coffee beans are relatively large in size, uniform in shape, and have a glossy, even color. For harvesting convenience, farmers prune coffee trees to not exceed 150 centimeters in height.

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

Finca Guayabo primarily uses different post-processing methods to showcase this coffee bean. Using 100% Bourbon variety with different processing approaches—50% honey process and 50% washed method—the original Bourbon variety presents different flavors through different processing methods, creating a multi-layered, milk-like smoothness with cocoa and chocolate notes, resulting in the "Chocolate Lover" profile.

The honey process involves transporting coffee beans to a honey processing facility at an altitude of about 1,800 meters. Processing at lower altitudes is done because this area is less prone to fog, with sufficient sunlight and strong ultraviolet rays, allowing coffee beans to absorb enough heat to develop excellent aroma. This enables the coffee to dry quickly and better express its flavors.

The washed method utilizes the abundant water resources in this region to give the coffee a very clean taste. Combining 50% honey process with 50% washed method creates a single origin coffee with distinctive characteristics—this is the flavor profile the farm aims to express, creating a coffee filled with chocolate, cocoa, and nut notes, naming it the "Chocolate Lover" series.

Roasting Analysis

When FrontStreet Coffee's roaster received these green beans from El Salvador · Santa Ana, they observed that the beans had 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 to make the sweetness of the beans more prominent in the flavor profile.

Roasting machine: Yangjia 800N (300g batch size)

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

At 8'38", ugly wrinkles and black spots appeared on the bean surface, with the toasted bread aroma clearly transforming into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, one must listen carefully for the sound of the first crack. First crack began at 9'25", damper opened to 5, with 2'00" development after first crack, discharged at 194.1°C.

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

Cupping Notes

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

1. Flavor descriptions vary by individual and are influenced by water temperature and brewing methods. This cupping report provides descriptions limited by the flavor wheel under identical brewing equipment and parameters, intended for reference purposes.

2. Content will be promptly updated based on new information, with the latest updates prevailing.

Brewing Guide

Recommended brewing method: pour-over

• Dripper: V60
• Water temperature: 88-90°C
• Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
• Grind size: BG -6T (57% retention rate on China standard #20 sieve), i.e., medium-fine grind

Brewing technique: segmented extraction. Use 33g of water for 30-second bloom, then continue pouring with small circular motions to 127g before segmenting. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 228g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper (timing starts from bloom). Total extraction time: 1'58".

Flavor: Aroma of fruit and nuts, with notes of nuts, cream, and caramel on entry, followed by berry and citrus acidity in the aftertaste. Overall mouthfeel is well-balanced.

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