Which coffee producing regions does El Salvador grow specialty beans in?

El Salvador has eight coffee producing regions, and six of them qualify as specialty grade. They sit on high mountain slopes and plateaus above 1,200 meters, covered in volcanic ash, with harvest running from November to April. Chalatenango grows mostly SHB Strictly Hard Bean above 1,400 meters, while Santa Ana ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 meters.

The country was once the fourth-largest coffee producer in the world, then a civil war damaged the entire supply chain, and output has not returned to its earlier peak. Coffee grades are elevation-based: SHG and CS sort beans by growing height. Regardless of region, Salvadoran coffee tends to show delicate, soft acidity with a sweet, balanced mouthfeel, as seen in Bourbon and Black Honey Pacamara lots.

Although El Salvador is a small country, it was once the fourth-largest coffee producer in the world. The civil war once depressed the industry, and although it has gradually recovered, production has struggled to return to its former peak. After recently cupping many Salvadoran beans, Front Street found that regardless of the producing region, delicate and soft acidity with a sweet, balanced mouthfeel is always the common character of the country's coffee. This article sorts out the geographical and flavor differences of six specialty producing regions, explains the SHG and CS elevation-based grading system, and records the roasting, cupping, and brewing performance of the Bourbon from El Guayabo and the Black Honey Pacamara from Los Pozos that Front Street acquired, for the reference of coffee lovers.

As the civil war came to an end, El Salvador's coffee industry slowly regained its vitality. This seemingly unremarkable origin had in fact once held the position of the world's fourth-largest coffee-producing country, but the civil war triggered by political turmoil devastated the entire industry chain. Even with some recovery in recent years, production capacity cannot return to its former peak. Front Street has recently continued to collect Salvadoran coffee beans for cupping comparison, and the conclusion is that no matter which producing region they come from, these beans all present delicate and soft acidity with a sweet, balanced mouthfeel.

Salvadoran Coffee Producing Regions

The country has a total of eight coffee-producing regions, six of which are specialty grade. These six specialty regions are generally distributed on high mountain slopes or plateaus above 1,200 meters in elevation and covered with volcanic ash, with the harvest season running from November to April of the following year.

Chalatenango: Located in the north-central part of El Salvador, within a volcanic mountain range with inconvenient transportation, the soil is fertile and very suitable for coffee cultivation. Most coffee from this region is SHB Strictly Hard Bean, meaning beans grown above 1,400 meters in elevation.

Santa Ana: Regarded as a Salvadoran producing region with outstanding quality in recent years, first because of its rich microclimates, and second because its volcanic gravel soil is both well-draining and fertile. The elevation ranges between 1,000 and 2,000 meters.

Tecapa-Chinameca Mountain Range: Located in the area between San Miguel city, the Lempa River, and the Grande River, the north-sloping hillsides extend all the way to the Central Valley region, while to the south they slope gently down to the coast. The flavor is diverse and layered, with a fairly good balance of body, aroma, acidity, and sweetness, carrying notes of chocolate and ripe fruit, as well as sweetness reminiscent of cantaloupe, apple, and grape. Elevation: 1,000 to 2,139 meters.

Cacahuatique Mountain Range: Located east of Barrios city, spanning between San Miguel Department and Morazán Department, starting from the Torola River valley in the north, extending along the mountains of the Honduran border, reaching the Torola River valley in the south and extending eastward to San Francisco Gotera city. Coffee from this region has a refined juicy quality, excellent mouthfeel, rich coffee flavor accompanied by almond aroma. Elevation: 1,000 to 1,663 meters.

Alotepec-Metapan Mountain Range: Situated in northern El Salvador, along the border area adjacent to Honduras. The aroma performance is excellent, with floral notes; chocolate, citrus, and a distinctive acidic caramel sweetness neutralize one another, and the fruit flavor is pronounced. Elevation: 1,000 to 2,000 meters.

El Balsamo-Quezaltepec Mountain Range: Located on the southern slope of the coastal mountain range in La Libertad Department, roughly south of San Salvador city and San Vicente city. It extends westward from the Armenia canyon to La Paz Department in the northwest. Coffee from this region has excellent balance, with creamy flavors, outstanding intensity, vanilla aroma, and bright acidity, and the mouthfeel is very smooth. Elevation: 1,000 to 1,960 meters.

Salvadoran Coffee Grades

El Salvador grades coffee based on the elevation of the producing area. Those reaching above 1,200 meters are SHG (Strictly High Grown), while those between 500 and 900 meters are CS (Center Standard).

Among the six specialty producing regions, Chalatenango and Santa Ana are especially famous. The beans from Los Pozos in Chalatenango and El Guayabo in Santa Ana are renowned within Salvadoran coffee circles, so Front Street purchased coffee beans from these two estates for roasting and cupping comparison.

Front Street Coffee — Santa Ana El Guayabo

Region: Santa Ana

Estate: El Guayabo

Elevation: 1450m

Variety: Bourbon

Processing Method: 50% Washed + 50% Honey

Grade: SHB

El Guayabo is located in the Santa Ana volcanic area of El Salvador, at an elevation between 1,300 and 1,500 meters, on the mountainside of the volcanic belt, with abundant moisture and numerous microclimates, which gives rise to especially delicate coffee flavors. The estate is mainly planted with the Bourbon variety, and the coffee trees spread continuously along the mountainside. The original forest in this area is quite well preserved, and wild animals such as nearby birds and reptiles are often seen in the coffee farm.

This bean purchased by Front Street Coffee uses 50% honey processing plus 50% washed processing. Using 100% Bourbon variety combined with different processing methods gives the overall flavor more layers and a richer mouthfeel. The honey processing here involves sending the coffee beans to a honey processing station at about 800 meters in elevation. The advantage of processing at lower elevation is less cloud and fog, sufficient sunlight, and strong ultraviolet rays, allowing the coffee beans to absorb enough heat energy, resulting in very good aroma performance. Honey processing allows the coffee to dry in a relatively short time, and the flavor presents more solidly. The washed method relies on the region's abundant water resources to give the coffee a clean texture. Front Street believes that a single-estate bean composed using this mixed processing method can highlight the chocolate, cocoa, and stone-fruit cream flavors that the estate owner wants to express.

Front Street Coffee — Los Pozos Black Honey Pacamara

Country: El Salvador

Region: Los Pozos, San Ignacio, Chalatenango Department

Estate: Los Pozos

Elevation: 1500 meters

Variety: Pacamara

Processing Method: Black Honey Processing

The owner of Los Pozos is Ignacio Gutiérrez, a three-time Salvadoran COE champion. In 2011, his Finca La Roxanita entered the COE for the first time, winning first place and the Presidential Award with a washed Pacamara, and setting a new record for the highest score at the time. In 2013, his Finca San Nicolas won first place in the COE and the Presidential Award again with a honey-processed Pacamara. In 2015, the honey-processed Pacamara from Los Pozos won him the COE first place and Presidential Award for the third time.

This bean purchased by Front Street Coffee uses black honey processing. The method is to first sort the freshly picked coffee cherries, select qualified red cherries and send them to the pulper for depulping; this step retains almost all the mucilage and pectin. Then the coffee beans with mucilage are placed on raised drying beds for sun drying, during which the degree of fermentation and humidity must be checked frequently until the moisture content drops to about 11%. The entire drying process takes about 18 to 25 days. Front Street believes that black honey-processed coffee beans have better flavor, with abundant sweetness and aroma.

Front Street Coffee Roasting Salvadoran Coffee Recommendations

El Guayabo Bourbon Roasting: Yangjia 800N, roasting amount 480g: charge at 175°C, power 130, damper opened to 3; turning point at 1'42", when the temperature reaches 130°C open the damper to 4; when the temperature reaches 152°C the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage, open the damper to 5; at 8'00", the bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and dark spots, and the toast smell clearly turns into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time you need to listen clearly for the sound of first crack; at 8'50" first crack begins, the damper remains unchanged, develop for 2 minutes after first crack, and drop the beans at 195.6°C.

Los Pozos Pacamara Roasting: Yangjia 800N, roasting amount 480g: charge at 175°C, power 130, damper opened to 3; turning point at 1'42", when the temperature reaches 130°C open the damper to 4; when the temperature reaches 152°C the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage, open the damper to 5; at 8'00", the bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and dark spots, and the toast smell clearly turns into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time you need to listen clearly for the sound of first crack; at 8'50" first crack begins, the damper remains unchanged, develop for 2 minutes after first crack, and drop the beans at 195.6°C. Front Street Coffee Cupping Salvadoran Coffee Report

El Guayabo

Dry Aroma: Caramel, Cocoa

Wet Aroma: Dark Chocolate, Nuts

Flavor: Cocoa, soft fruit acidity, caramel

Los Pozos

Dry Aroma: Caramel

Wet Aroma: Berries

Flavor: Citrus, grape, honey, berries Front Street Coffee Brewing Salvadoran Coffee Notes

Dripper: V60 #01

Dose: 15g

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: caster sugar (80% passing a No. 20 sieve)

Water temperature: 90-91°C

Front Street Coffee uses staged extraction, also called three-stage brewing: use 30 grams of water to bloom for 30 seconds, pour in a small stream in circles until 125 grams and then pause, when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed continue pouring until 225 grams and stop pouring; when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper, (timing starts from the beginning of blooming) with an extraction time of 1'55"-2'00".

El Guayabo brewed flavor: cocoa aroma carrying the sweetness of caramel, creamy mouthfeel, soft fruit acidity, berry finish.

Los Pozos brewed flavor: citrus, the refreshing acidity of orange, the sweet-and-sour taste of grape, honey finish.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat Front Street Coffee, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.