New coffee release: El Salvador Finca Lorena

Finca Lorena is situated in the foothills of El Salvador’s Santa Ana volcano, in the super fertile Apaneca Ilamatepec mountain range. It is owned and managed by Renato Arturo Romero Silva’s, and his family have been farming at Finca Lorena for three generations.

A look at the specs

Varietal(s):  100% Bourbon
Processing:  Fully-washed and dried on patios
Altitude: 1 150 to 1 250 metres above sea level
Owner: Renato Arturo Romero Silva
Town: Canton Buenos Aires
Region:  Apaneca Ilamatepec mountain range
Country:  El Salvador Total size of farm:  20 hectares Area under coffee: 20 hectares

Renato seeks to farm in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way. He uses the very minimum of chemical fertilisers and herbicides on his farm and enriches his soil with organic matter (composted by-products of processing, like Coffee cherry pulp) to ensure his trees have all the nutrients necessary for healthy growth. The farm also collects its own rainwater using tanks and drainage channels.

95% of the coffee grown in El Salvador is shade grown. This allows for slower cherry maturation, leading to a potentially enhanced cup profile.

Shade cover diversifies the ecology and likely increases soil health as well as simulates sugar storage in the seed much in the same way a higher altitude would.

If the coffee plant is grown in a sweltering unsheltered area, it will likely use a fair amount of its sugars for maintenance instead of storing it in the seed and therefore won’t be available to be used in roasting reactions through sugar caramelization and the maillard reaction.

Conclusion

Quite a versatile coffee with maple-syrup, dried fruit and pecan in the cup. A soft stone fruit acidity ties it together. This is a great all-rounder for those who need to please many guests.

I find overly exotic and acidic coffees can become a bit much at times. In fact I would recommend buying Ethiopia Gesha Village or Kenya Gitare to use as a coffee to savour and experience with friends like a fine wine and use a coffee like the above mentioned El Salvador Finca Lorena for everyday enjoyment.

Until next time.