STORY

A well-balanced flavor from San Jose Farm Bourbon in El Salvador.


CROWD ROASTER 's coffee blend is " El Salvador/Apaneca/San Jose Farm/Red Bourbon /Fully Washed, Honey ".
This article will provide a detailed overview of its features.

The tartness of oranges and the sweetness of chocolate, a rich and expressive flavor that changes with roasting.


Red Bourbon from the San Jose farm in El Salvador is a coffee that offers different characteristics depending on the roasting level.

At a medium roast, it features bright acidity and fruity notes reminiscent of oranges and limes. It has a good balance of sweetness and a substantial body, making it a satisfying cup of coffee.
When dark roasted, the rich sweetness and flavor of dark chocolate and brownies come to the forefront, and the coffee transforms into a complex flavor with just a hint of acidity reminiscent of blood orange.

Finished using two processing methods—fully washed and honey-processed—this coffee fully showcases the charm of the traditional Bourbon variety from El Salvador.

Despite being a small country, El Salvador boasts high-quality coffee.

El Salvador is located in Central America, bordering Guatemala to the north and Honduras to the east. With an area of ​​approximately 21,000 square kilometers, it is a small country, slightly larger than Japan's Shikoku island. However, situated between Guatemala and Honduras, both renowned coffee-producing regions, it boasts ideal conditions for coffee cultivation.

El Salvador's most distinctive feature is that it is a volcanic country with more than 20 volcanoes in a small land area. The volcanic soil is rich in minerals and well-drained, making it ideal for growing coffee. In addition, because a large part of the country is at high altitude, despite being close to the equator, temperatures do not rise too high, maintaining a warm climate that is ideal for coffee cultivation.

The region has a clearly defined rainy season from May to October and a dry season from November to April, with an average annual rainfall of 1,700 to 2,000 mm, providing sufficient moisture for coffee cultivation.

In El Salvador, a traditional cultivation method is widely practiced that involves planting shade trees to regulate the amount of sunlight. The fallen leaves then decompose into humus, further enriching the soil, thus practicing sustainable coffee cultivation.

National initiatives to support the coffee industry

For El Salvador, coffee is a vital industry. Coffee cultivation accounts for approximately 30% of the country's agricultural production, and coffee makes up about 50% of its total exports. Furthermore, about 25% of the working population is employed in the coffee industry, making it an industry that supports the livelihoods of the people. Coffee is so beloved by the people that the coffee flower has even been chosen as the national flower.

In El Salvador, the entire country is committed to improving coffee quality. At the Coffee Research Institute of the National Ministry of Agriculture, research on variety improvement and production techniques is conducted day and night, and the government is actively promoting coffee improvement. " Pacamara ," developed at this institute, is now a specialty coffee variety that is highly regarded worldwide.

El Salvador, which once boasted the world's third-largest coffee production in 1975, experienced a period of decline in its coffee industry due to a long civil war and outbreaks of coffee rust. However, in recent years, it has made a comeback through production focused on quality, and is once again attracting attention, receiving high praise at international competitions.

The blessed environment of the Apaneca region at the foot of Santa Ana volcano


Apaneca, where the San Jose farm is located, is a coffee-producing region in the Santa Ana Department of western El Salvador. Also known as "Apaneca-Ilamatepec," this area spreads across the slopes of the Santa Ana volcano and is famous for producing some of the highest quality coffee in El Salvador.

The area around Santa Ana Volcano boasts fertile volcanic soil and a wonderful microclimate influenced by the Pacific Ocean. The soil, rich in volcanic ash, is mineral-rich and well-drained, and the humus from fallen shade trees further improves the soil environment.

Coffee grown in this region is characterized by its clean and well-balanced flavor. The combination of high altitude, fertile soil, and appropriate rainfall produces high-quality specialty coffee that is representative of El Salvador.

Quality achievable only on a small 3.5-hectare farm.


San Jose Farm is a small farm, covering only 3.5 hectares. However, its small size is its greatest strength.

Farm owner Juan Carlos Gregg inherited the farm from his grandfather. He has inherited his grandfather's pride in quality, sense of responsibility, and passion. As a Manabu himself, he takes advantage of the characteristics of a small farm to provide meticulous care throughout the year, much like garden maintenance.

Quality control is carried out by an experienced cultivation team led by CafeCate's agricultural engineer, Rodrigo Giamatti. Optimal management is maintained throughout the year, with tree care during the rainy season and harvesting during the dry season.

Juan Carlos Gregg has a firm belief in using innovative cultivation techniques to increase yields while simultaneously succeeding in maintaining high quality. He also believes that this success is only possible with the cooperation of his workers, and he is committed to improving their quality of life by providing annual leave, high wages, and health insurance.

As a young producer, he takes pride in the wonderful legacy he inherited from his grandfather, and his commitment to striving for even greater heights is clearly reflected in the quality of San Jose Farm's coffee.

A traditional Red Bourbon variety from El Salvador.

The San Jose farm cultivates the Red Bourbon variety, which is traditionally grown in El Salvador and boasts high cup quality.

Bourbon variety is one of the two major Arabica varieties, and is said to be a descendant of a single tree that was brought from Yemen to the French island of Réunion (formerly Bourbon ) in the early 18th century and successfully cultivated there. After being introduced to Brazil in the mid-19th century, it became widely cultivated in Central and South America.

Bourbon variety is characterized by its small yet flavorful coffee cherries. It boasts a balanced acidity, fruity aromas and sweetness, a robust body, and a rich, sweet flavor. After roasting, the beans are beautifully uniform in color, and when brewed, they offer a refined sweetness.

However, Bourbon variety has drawbacks, such as being susceptible to disease and having a low yield. Since the 1980s, many coffee-producing countries in Central and South America have shifted to planting more productive varieties. In El Salvador, however, the civil war of the 1980s prevented this shift, and as a result, the traditional Bourbon variety remained. Although Bourbon is now rare worldwide, it accounts for more than 60% of production in El Salvador and is an important variety that shapes the unique character of El Salvadoran coffee.

Two refining methods: free-washed and honey-washed.

At San Jose Farm, they process their coffee using two methods: fully washed and honey process.

In El Salvador, the washed (wet) method is the dominant processing method. After harvesting, the coffee cherries are sorted, then processed in the following order: pulp removal, mucilage removal, washing, and drying. Compared to the natural process, the drying time is shorter, resulting in a clean and clear flavor.

The honey process is a popular coffee processing method in Central and South America, particularly in Costa Rica. After removing the pulp, the coffee beans are dried while leaving some of the mucilage (the sticky substance covering the beans) intact, resulting in a natural, mellow sweetness reminiscent of honey.

These two processing methods allow you to enjoy San Jose Farm's Red Bourbon as coffees with distinctly different characteristics.

The tartness of orange and lime, the sweetness of dark chocolate. A rich array of expressions that change depending on the roast level, and a well-balanced flavor. San Jose Farm's Red Bourbon is a carefully crafted cup born from the tradition and innovation of El Salvador, and the passion of its producers.

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