El Salvador – Regional Select – Chalatenango


Washed
B12609

El Salvador – Regional Select – Chalatenango B12609


Specs:

Source:

El Salvador

Region:

Chalatenango

Farm:

Various smallholder farmers

Variety:

Bourbon, Pacas, Pacamara, Pache, Caturra

Altitude:

1200–1900 masl

Processing:

Washed

Program:

Regional Select

Notes:

"Very chocolatey with cocoa, caramelized sugar and mild cherry flavor; sweet with tangy acidity and a smooth mouthfeel."

Score:

86 points

Price/Bag:

$4.32 per lb

$216.00 per bag

Out of stock


Background:

The Regional Select program was created to highlight the unique profiles we have found that are inherent to various microclimates in many of the countries from which we source green coffee. Local variables like wind patterns, soil quality, sunlight, elevation, and other environmental influencers have much to do with the common characteristics that separate, say, a Northern Colombian from a Southern Colombian coffee, just as they inform the differences between a Colombian and a Kenyan.

For our Regional Select offerings, we source based on cup quality and character, seeking a balance of “taste of place” with availability and price. These lots are built as blends from coffees that cup out between 84–87 on our 100-point cupping scale, and come with regional and often microregional traceability, but are not farm- or producer-specific.

The small, relatively remote area of Chalatenango, El Salvador, is a region Cafe Imports has focused its sourcing efforts in recent years: While the farms are small (like, really small—most of them smaller than 1 or 2 hectares), the climate and varieties as well as the processing and attention to detail make the work of discovering and purchasing these coffees worth it. The farmers of Chalatenango form a somewhat close-knit community group, and we have been purchasing the top offerings from the same group for several years: Senior green-coffee buyer Piero Cristiani and his green-buyer's associate Alberto Reyes source the coffee and buy it in parchment, organizing not only the transport but also the milling, packaging, and export of the lots. The Regional Select offerings are a blend of the 84–87-point coffees delivered by the same producers who contribute to our smallholder pequeño-bag microlot offerings from this country.

For more information about coffee production in El Salvador, visit our El Salvador Origin Page.


Photos: