About This Coffee
Carlos Pola descends from a family of coffee farmers. He purchased Finca Las Brisas in 1997 while he was working in the textile industry. By 2012, he switched to working in coffee full time. His vision is to produce sustainable specialty coffee by applying his textile industry experience of quality control, efficiency and data management to coffee production on Finca Las Brisas and Finca San Antonio.
The farm has its own lab for experimenting with new processing methods, quality control and educating farm workers in specialty coffee.
Carlos believes in supporting his community and helping as many farmers as possible embrace specialty coffee. He has channeled his passion for traceability into an application that traces coffee from the day it is harvested to the shipping lot.
Cultivation
When Carlos dedicated himself to producing coffee fulltime in 2012, he renovated the farm to create a farm focused on sustainable and cost-effective production. Carlos has substantially reduced the farm’s use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers by adopting a specific combination of scientific theory and coffee producer know-how. Trees are planted in double rows and shaded by nitrogen-fixing trees. Carlos has even spread specific fungi that have symbiotic relationships with coffee trees and can actually help trees be more efficient at absorbing nitrogen and phosphorus.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively handpicked and floated to remove any underripes. Carlos is always seeking to further improve his process and has been experimenting with differing amounts of fermentation since 2016. Cherry is placed in clean sacks and set to rest under shade in temperatures of 19 to 22 degrees Celsius. Sacks are flipped every 24 hours for a total fermentation time of 48 to 72 hours. These conditions begin to dry out cherry and cause them to release some of their liquid.
Following fermentation, cherry is pulped without any water and laid on raised beds to dry. Parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes between 17 and 20 days for parchment to dry. “We discovered that this specific process helps us enhance the structure and profile of this coffee. It adds more intensity without losing finesse and cleanliness,” says Oscar Escalante, Quality Control Manager.
Dried parchment is stored on the farm for several days and then transported to Cooperative La Cuzcachapa in Chalchuapa, Santa Ana to be prepared for export.
In line with his focus on ecologically-sound methods, Carlos only uses honey, natural and controlled fermentation processes to help reduce Finca La Brisas’ water consumption. Any water used in processing is carefully treated to reduce its environmental impact. Water is anaerobically fermented in sealed tanks where solids are broken down. This nutrient-rich solution is used to spread the fungi that support symbiotic nutrient uptake in coffee trees.
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.