Las Llantas

Incredibly bright and rich coffee! the farmer did a great lot of efforts in fermentation process, bringing this jewel to perfection.

Even the test roast was a winner in blind cup tasting here among other fermented and natural contestants. Here is your sweetness of cherry and tangerine, chocolate notes in winey cocktail of flavours.

The passionate coffee producer Jose Enrique Gutierrez is a second-generation coffee producer who is dedicated to producing high-quality coffees sustainably - or at least, as sustainably as he can while sipping on his morning cup of joe. His family once produced coffee in the eastern region of El Salvador, but had to abandon the farms due to low coffee prices and a civil war in the 1980s. Nevertheless, Jose was determined to pursue his passion, and in 2007 he bought his first farm with the intent to produce specialty coffee. Finca Las Llantas was named for the car tires placed at the entrance, which doubles as chairs for people who want to take in the view - or who need a quick nap. Jose blends traditional agronomic knowledge with his own sustainable practices, and thanks to the specialty industry's stable prices, he was able to increase his land and purchase more farms. Now, his farms San Jose, El Limo, Las Brisas, El Horno and Los Cocos are all focused on specialty production. At each farm, Jose renovated the land and implemented integrated farming systems to ensure high quality and sustainability - or, as he likes to call it, sustainable coffee-tainment. Finca La Llantas is situated 1,200 meters above sea level in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. Coffee is shaded by Inga trees, and workers also plant beans in between coffee rows to provide food for their families and also to fix nitrogen in the soil. At harvest, cherry is handpicked at peak ripeness and taken to the on-farm wet mill. After a fermentation period of 68-72 hours, the cherry is transported to the El Carmen mill in Ataco to be sundried on raised beds for 30-32 days.

So, El Salvador may be small, but it packs a punch when it comes to coffee production. It's known for producing high quality coffees like Bourbon and Pacamara. In fact, two of our favorites, Pacas and Pacamara, originated there - so you know it's gotta be good. And not only that, but El Salvador already has a great specialty coffee workforce, and farmers that are passionate about what they do. Plus, it has the perfect conditions for coffee processing, with the dry season usually occurring during the harvest - making it easier to sun dry coffee. But, due to the coffee leaf rust crisis, production has been declining for a few decades. But now, a new generation of coffee producers are emerging with a new vision - and they're experimenting with processing and varietals like Sarchimor, which is a mix of the flavor profile from Bourbon and the disease-resistant hybrid from Timor-Leste.

So it's a mix of the best of both worlds! Sarchimor is a great variety, with well-known types like Marsellesa and Parainema.

Bottom line, if you're looking for quality coffee, El Salvador's got you covered!