Las Brisas

Despite being the smallest country in South America, El Salvador had been a top coffee producer worldwide since the 1880’s, by 1970 it was ranked the 4^th largest coffee exporter worldwide. However, a period of civil war caused the coffee industry to decline and once the war ended producers struggled to compete on the international coffee stage. However, El Salvador remained resilient and began to rebuild their coffee industry by focusing on quality. Their native varietals, volcanic soil, and ambition helped them earn a reputation of unmatched quality.

Carlos Pola cultivates coffee in a dramatically new manner. He developed a process to extend the drying process. The raised drying beds have screens that provide extra shade which add 5-6 days of drying time which dries coffee from the inside out while maintaining stable cell activity. Having longer preservation of flavor precursors and enzymatic properties of the coffee seed creates higher quality and more consistent taste profiles across the board.

Pola’s style of regenerative agriculture is saving specialty coffee in El Salvador and he hopes to continue developing and sharing with other producers.

Farm details:

Producer:      Carlos Pola

Farm/Co-op: Finca Las Brisas

Region:          Apaneca-Ilamatepec

Country:          El Salvador

Altitude:          1,300-1,400 masl

Process:          Natural 

Varietal:          Pacamara

Flavor profile:

Taste: Guava, Passionfruit, Lemon

Acidity: High

Sweetness: Medium Plus

Body: Medium Light