El Carmen - Anaerobic Natural, El Salvador
Roaster’s notes: Peach, Mango & Honey
It's always interesting having two coffees from the same estate when they present such vastly different flavour profiles. This anaerobic natural from El Carmen starts with a splash of soft peach and ripe mango, wrapped in beautiful honey sweetness. What a treat.
From an Award-Winning Farm
We're delighted to share that the farm behind this coffee has just been awarded 2nd Place in the Cup of Excellence with a sister lot produced from the same Orange Bourbon variety using the same anaerobic natural process.
While every lot has its own unique character, this recognition is a testament to the exceptional quality, care and craftsmanship consistently produced by the farm. It's a rare opportunity to experience coffee from one of the world's most celebrated producers, showcasing the same meticulous approach that earned international acclaim.
Roast Style: Light Medium
Varietals: Orange Bourbon
Processing: Anaerobic Natural
Altitude: 1,300 metres above sea level
Farm: El Carmen Estate
Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec, Ahuachapán
Owner: Fernando Alfaro & Family
Product information
El Carmen Estate is located at 1,300m above sea level in El Salvador’s Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain
range, one of Central America’s prime specialty coffee producing areas. The estate has been farmed by
the Alfaro family for over a century.
El Carmen lies in the heart of El Salvador’s main ‘protected highway’ of forest, a part of the Mesoamerican
Biological Corridor System that stretches all the way from Mexico down to Panama. In El Salvador, where
more than 80% of the country’s coffee is produced under shade, this eco-system is based mainly in the
coffee forest. For this reason, coffee farms such as El Carmen play a vital role as a sanctuary for hundreds
of the migratory and native bird species found in this part of the world.
The Estate was founded in the middle of the 19th century when Antonio José Alfaro acquired a plot of land
near the village of Ataco – meaning ‘Site of Elevated Springs’ in the indigenous Nahuatl language – where
he started to produce coffee. His son, Agustin Alfaro, founder of the Salvadoran National Coffee
Company, followed in his father’s footsteps and established El Carmen as one of El Salvador’s leading
exporters. His efforts were continued by Antonio Alfaro, head of the third generation of this coffee family
and are carried through today by Fernando Alfaro, the fourth generation of his family to farm coffee.
El Carmen is an extremely well-run specialty Estate and is managed with scrupulous attention detail, with
great emphasis placed on maintaining the identity of each lot from the moment its coffee cherries are
harvested until the point when the green beans are ready for export. The estate’s coffee is produced
under approximately 60% shade cover, which is required for the coffee to ripen evenly. Prior to the rainy
season, shade trees are then pruned to about 40% shade to allow the access of light necessary for new
foliage growth.
This lot is comprised of Orange Bourbon, El Carmen cultivates a number of Orange (sometimes called ‘pink’
Bourbon trees), which are natural mutations of the famous Red Bourbon
During the harvest, the cherries are hand-picked only when perfectly ripe and delivered to the mill located
at the farm. The cherries are sorted for quality, then placed into containers with water and a cocktail of
mountain microorganisms, fungus, and bacteria to ferment for 192 hours sealed. This slows down the
fermentation process and prevents any growth of mould. Afterwards, the cherries are evenly dispersed on
raised beds to dry in the open sun for 25 – 30 days, with constant raking to prevent any mould
development. Once drying is complete, the coffee is hulled and prepared for export.