El Salvador Las Mercedes Estate

This single estate coffee is absolutely delightful. Full bodied and creamy with notes of dark chocolate, toffee and just a touch of lemon. Warm, flavorful and balanced, it's perfect for those chilly winter mornings.

Arrival Date: December 16th, 2016

Acidity & Brightness: Moderately bright and sweet

Balance & Finish: Well balanced, mild, clean and short finish

Body & Texture: Full bodied, creamy mouthfeel

Flavors: Dark chocolate, toffee and a hint of lemon

Grade: SHG - Strictly High Grown

Certifications: Rainforest Alliance, Single Estate

Processing: Fully washed, hand picked, sun dried

Varietals: Red Bourbon and Pacamara

Roasting: Start with a Full City (Medium), or just up to the second crack. This medium roast will give you the most balance from this coffee but it handles a spectrum of roast levels well and roasts quite evenly. Go a bit lighter for more brightness and creamy texture or darker for more dark chocolate and body. 

Reminder: This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing

Our Review: Deep in the hills of the Mejicanos region of El Salvador, the Aguilar family has been producing coffee for six generations. Las Mercedes Estate, owned and operated by father and son Juan and Fernando, is an ambitious coffee estate, and the Aguilar family continues combining new farming techniques with new technologies to better improve their product with each and every crop. The 150-hectare farm consists of a large majority of Bourbon with just a sprinkling of the Pacamara variety and is certified by the Rainforest Alliance. The Las Mercedes estate has been producing coffee since 1890 and continues to grow to this day.

Coffees from El Salvador have been hit or miss this season, but we found a winner we're proud of. The care the Aguilar family has put into this coffee shines through with ever sip. It's a pleasure to roast as it roasts quite evenly and will handle a fairly wide spectrum of roasts levels well. At a Full City roast, you'll find it's very balanced, with a slightly crisp front end and sweet notes of dark chocolate, toffee and just a touch of lemon. The mouthfeel is very creamy and pleasant with a short, clean finish. Maybe it's just the looming prospect of winter on the way, but this coffee just seems perfect when you need to warm up with a comfortable cup!