About This Coffee
Renato Arturo Romero’s dedication to high quality specialty coffee can be seen in his meticulous renovation and processing regimen. Renato grows the seedlings on the on-farm nursery and renovates trees on a regular basis. The farm, which was once entirely Bourbon trees, is now populated with SL varieties from Kenya, Orange Bourbon, Pacamara and Marsallesa varieties.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Workers selectively handpicks ripe, red cherry and deliver it to the on-site washing station. Cherry is laid to sundry on raised beds. Workers rake cherry frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 26 days for cherry to dry.
Dried cherry is stored at Beneficio El Carmen in Ahuachapan before being prepared for export.
About Pacamara
The Institute for Coffee Research (ISIC) created the Pacamara hybrid in El Salvador in the 1950s. The variety is a cross of Pacas (a Bourbon mutation) and Maragogype. Pacamara is relatively short with high productivity and is prized for its large cherries. Maragogype is a natural mutation of Typica that’s known for especially large beans. Pacamara's name comes from the first 4 letters of each parent.
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.