Flavour profile: A sweet, caramel-like aroma. The coffee has a medium-intense sweetness and flavours of plum, hibiscus and a hint of cranberry. The mouthfeel is creamy, with a medium body, and the aftertaste has a cooling, acidic finish of lime.
Colour: Purple
Category: Adventurous
Producers: Ernesto Menéndez
Varietal: SL28 & Pacamara
Process: Anaerobic Natural
Harvest: March 2023
Location: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range, Santa Ana
Elevation: 1460 - 2000 meters above sea level
Price transparency: The FOB price paid for this coffee was 4,20 US$/Ib.
Las Brumas Anaerobic Natural SL28 & Pacamara is produced by our longtime partner and friend, Ernesto Menéndez. Located in the forest of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, Las Brumas is totally different from any other coffee farm we've ever seen. The coffee trees at Las Brumas are spread out in the forest to be built up as "wild grown" as possible, without interfering with nature.
Nearly 70 years ago, the previous owner of Las Brumas planted SL28 seeds on the farm, seeds which had been taken home to El Salvador from a hunting trip in Kenya. Over time they've of course adapted to the different growing conditions and terroir, but still hold their trademark cooling finish and hibiscus notes of this varietal. Today the SL28 is grown side by side with newer Pacamara, Ernesto's philosophy is the mix the two as they belong together and impact each other. So this will be the closest you ever come to a "blend" at Drop Coffee.
We've began working with Ernesto in 2015, and have been buying the coffee from his farms Las Brumas and Los Andes ever since. It was a relationship that started purely based on geekiness in how to create a really high-end cup of coffee. Ernesto is a great producer who constantly cups and improves his methods of growing and processing, something that makes working together really fun, and he has a theory behind every decision in how this coffee was produced. Ernesto has won the Cup of Excellence several times, and the coffee from Las Brumas has also previously won the World Barista Championship.
We find the Pacamara sweet and creamy being most dominant in the cup profile, but lifted up by the bright hibiscus notes, as well as the cooling finish of lime, from the SL28. This coffee has a medium-intense sweetness and flavours of plum, hibiscus and a hint of cranberry. The mouthfeel is creamy, with a medium body, and the aftertaste has a cooling finish of lime.
To learn more about Ernesto Menéndez and Las Brumas farm click here.
