About This Coffee
Gustavo Alfonso Cuéllar Jiménez owns and operates Finca El Potala. The farm is named after Potala Palace, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama in the Lhasa Valley in Tibet. Like its namesake, Finca El Potala is located in a mountainous area and sits amidst the mountains of the Cerro Apaneca. Gustavo worked as an advisor to the Tibetan government on geothermal energy. He also worked with the Guatemala government on a geothermal plant in the Apaneca/Ahuachapan region.
The Cuéllar family has been farming coffee in the Ahuachapan region for more than 3 generations. Today, Gustavo continues their tradition of cultivating high-quality coffees at Finca El Potala.
Cultivation
Finca El Potala s is located at 1,300 meters above sea level in Ahuachapan, El Salvador. The farm is planted with Pacas, Bourbon, Cuscatleco and the Red Bourbon in this lot.
Coffee grows under shade trees. Gustavo has also constructed as windbreaker labyrinth of tall, native plants to protect coffee trees. The farm is home to migratory birds and a wealth of other species and helps protect and renew the soil.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively handpicked and processed on the farm. Ripe, red cherry is laid to dry. Cherry is raked frequently to ensure even drying.
Coffee in El Salvador
Don’t be fooled by El Salvador’s small size. It was once the 4th largest coffee producer worldwide and continues to produce high quality lots. The country is known for its great cupping varieties, such as Bourbon and Pacamara. In fact, two beloved, frequently high-scoring varieties—Pacas and Pacamara— originated in El Salvador.
Unlike other countries, where specialty coffee production has required a great deal of additional investment and training, El Salvador already has a broad and skilled specialty coffee workforce. Farming traditions run deep, and many Salvadorian farmers are extremely passionate about coffee production and continuously strive to improve their crop. El Salvador has optimal conditions for coffee processing. The prolonged dry season typically occurs during the harvest season, making it easier to sun dry coffee.
Though coffee output in the country has been declining for over two decades – exacerbated by the CLR crisis – the approach to coffee production has changed from volume- to quality-driven. A new generation of coffee producers has sprouted around the country with a new vision and approach to production. Many of this generation are experimenting with processing and varietals.