What Are El Salvador Coffee Varieties? A Brief Introduction to the Taste and Flavor of Pour-Over El Salvador Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee's Brew Record: El Salvador Santa Elena Estate Washed Pacamara

Pacamara Variety Introduction

Pacamara is a cultivated hybrid of Pacas and Maragogipe, first bred by Salvadoran researchers in 1958.

It is a rare example of artificial selection producing a variety that surpasses both of its parents. Pacamara inherits the outstanding flavor of Pacas and the large bean size of Maragogipe. Its beans average 1.03 centimeters in length and 0.71 centimeters in width, against roughly 0.8-0.85 centimeters and 0.6-0.65 centimeters for typical beans, with 90% of the crop sitting above screen size 18 and a full, rounded shape.

(Pacamara compared with Bourbon and Typica.)

What sets Pacamara apart is its lively, sophisticated acidity, which can shift between biscuit-like aromas and ripe fruit from one sip to the next, all carried on an excellent body and mouthfeel. The finest Pacamara comes from El Salvador and Guatemala.

El Salvador's Coffee Regions

El Salvador's specialty coffee is concentrated in the Santa Ana region in the west and in the volcanic rock country of Chalatenango in the northwest. The cup carries the mild character typical of Central America: a smooth overall impression, restrained acidity, and a pleasant sweetness.

Like its neighbors Guatemala and Costa Rica, El Salvador grades coffee by altitude, so higher ground generally means better coffee. There are three grades: SHG (Strictly High Grown) above 1,200 meters, HG (High Grown) above 900 meters, and CS (Central Standard) above 600 meters.

El Salvador Santa Elena Estate Washed Pacamara

Altitude: 1620-1730m

Variety: Pacamara

Processing Method: Washed

Flavor Notes: Berries, lemon, floral and fruity aromas

Parameters: Grind size BG 6s (58% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve), water temperature 90°C, coffee-to-water ratio 1:15

Brewing Method: Bloom with 27g of water for 30 seconds, then pour in stages to 128g. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 227g and stop. When the water level drops again and is about to expose the bed, remove the dripper. Timing starts from the beginning of the bloom; total extraction time is 1 minute 50 seconds.

Tasting Notes: The aroma opens with fresh fruity acidity. The first sip brings green grapes, lemon, and grapefruit, moving into nutty and biscuit notes through the middle and a green tea sensation on the finish. Macadamia and cream linger in the aftertaste, giving the cup plenty of depth.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Pacamara's bright, layered structure rewards a fast, controllable pour-over, which is why FrontStreet brews it on a V60. The V60 was designed by Hario, a Tokyo glassmaker founded in 1921, and released in its familiar form in 2005. Its 60-degree cone and single large outlet force the water toward the center before it drips through, lengthening the contact between water and grounds, while flow rate depends almost entirely on the brewer's hand. For coffees built around florals and fruit, that responsiveness is exactly what you want.

FrontStreet keeps several such lots on the shelf. The Washed Yirgacheffe daily bean is the classic starting point, all white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like finish. The Ethiopia Huakui pushes the fruit much further with tropical aromas of strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit, and even lychee, low bitterness and a juicy, smooth body. For something more rarefied, the Panama Emerald Estate Red Label Geisha brings elegant jasmine, citrus, bergamot, and a fine black-tea quality, clean and transparent with a long, layered finish. All of them shine on a V60.

To brew them, FrontStreet suggests a V60 or KONO dripper with water at 90-91°C, 15 g of coffee, and a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio. Keep the grind at about fine sugar and use a slow, steady pour to keep the flow even and the extraction sweet rather than sharp.