Dear coffee subscribers,
February is here and your subscription coffee has just left our roastery. This month I have picked out three different coffees from one single farm, which gives us the opportunity to taste the differences in coffees that are grown in the same location.
The farm – Los Pirineos in El Salvador – is located on a volcano and used to be run by my dear friend Gilberto Baraona who passed away in 2020. Today, his children are the ones carrying on his legacy and I have to say that the 2021 harvest has been one of the best I have tasted from this farm. This is undoubtedly the fruits of the labour that Gilberto carried out in the past in improving and growing the farm, with a long term perspective.
This month’s coffees feature two different processes and two different varieties – giving us lots to taste, compare and enjoy together. You can join me in cupping this month’s selection on YouTube here and learn more about each coffee below.
Los Pirineos Bourbon Elite – Washed – 1st & 4th bag
Flavour notes: Chocolate, dried fruits & roasted nuts
Producer: Diego & Fabiola Baraona
Harvest: February 2021
Origin: Tecapa-Chinameca, Usulutan, El Salvador
Process: Washed ( mechanical mucilage remover )
Cultivar: Bourbon Elite
Almost two yers have passed since our friend and great coffee producer Gilberto Baraona passed away. He left a farm in mint condition and today his children are the ones carrying on his legacy. I have to honestly say that the 2021 harvest was definitely the best I have tasted from this farm. We managed to buy one of the best Pacamara coffees I have tasted from Los Pirineos ever for our subscribers and the Bourbon coffees are tasting really intense and sweet. The overall quality has been very good and I know it is not only the fruits of the labour of Gilberto but also a results of the work of Diego and Fabiola and the whole team at Los Pirineos.
This semi-washed Bourbon coffee is sort of our “Brazilian style” coffee. It has a lot of the milk chocolaty notes you often find in the Bourbon coffees in Brazil, with a delicious sweet note of roasted nuts and dried fruits. I love drinking this coffee when I want something sweet and comforting or to use it in a tasting as a contrast to the fruity and floral coffees we often have on our menu from Kenya and Ethiopia.
Los Pirineos Bourbon Elite – Honey – 2nd & 5th bag
Flavour notes: Stewed fruits & chocolate
Producer: Diego & Fabiola Baraona
Harvest: February 2021
Origin: Tecapa-Chinameca, Usulutan, El Salvador
Process: Honey
Cultivar: Bourbon Elite
This is a honey processed coffee of the same Bourbon Elite cultivar described above. Honey process basically means that there is some mucilage left on the coffee while it is drying on raised beds under shade. When compared with the washed coffee this honey processed Bourbon has a distinct stewed stone-fruit like flavour that comes from the fermentation process of the mucilage that occurs during drying. Expect a more fruity version of the Bourbon with a juicy mouthfeel and refreshing finish.
Los Pirineos Casiopea – Honey 3rd & 6th bag
Flavour notes: Apple juice, floral & stone fruit
Producer: Diego & Fabiola Baraona
Harvest: February 2021
Origin: Tecapa-Chinameca, Usulutan, El Salvador
Process: Honey
Cultivar: Casiopea
Casiopea is a first generation F1 hybrid cultivar developed by the French research institute CIRAD together with several research institutes in Central-America. An F1 hybrid indicates that it is the first generation of plants from a cross pollination. In practical terms it means if you take seeds from the F1 hybrid the children plants will be different from the parent and is therefore traditionally not released to farmers as the seeds will not give predictable outcomes.
In modern times the F1 hybrids are used because of their vigor, yields and sometimes exceptional quality. There are only a handful of F1 hybrids being grown in the world and most of them were developed and released within the last 10 years. Casiopea is a cross between a Caturra tree and an Ethiopian landrace (ET41) cultivar. I find it to have an interesting flavour profile with delicate floral notes of violet and rose. Combined with the fruity flavours that come from the Honey process, it makes a delicate yet complex coffee.