Tasting notes: Cantaloupe, vanilla, green tea, almond

Origin: El Salvador

Region: Apaneca-Ilametepec

Farm: Finca Palin

Farmer: Carolina Padilla

Elevation: 3400 feet

Variety: Bourbon, Icatu, Marsellesa

Process: Fully washed and sun dried on clay patios

Nestled in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range among active volcanoes and protected wilderness, Finca Palin grows coffee that thrives in an environment of extraordinary natural diversity and nutrient-rich volcanic soil. Carolina Padilla adds to the already ideal coffee growing environment of her family farm by surrounding her coffee plants with teak and citrus trees for natural shade. The farm also employs sustainable methods of natural fertilization and pest control and leaves half its acreage uncultivated as tropical dry forest for increased biodiversity.

For over 100 years, Finca Palin has honed its craft as a family operation spanning three generations. The coffee cherries are hand-picked and delivered to the nearby Beneficia Rio Zarco mill, where they are left to ferment for 10 to 12 hours after pulping. The beans are then washed and laid out to dry on clay patios that promote even heat distribution to ensure ideal and consistent moisture content.

The range of flavors in this coffee almost match the diversity of its origin.

The cup’s character presents light, crisp, and clear­—with sparkling acidity and green tea and floral aromas that open to notes of almond, melon, and vanilla bean. For a finale, a taste akin to peanut butter cup candy caps off this unique array of flavors.