El Salvador: Finca Argentina, Yellow Pacamara, Natural

El Salvador: Finca Argentina, Icatu, Natural Picture a warm slice of apple strudel. Soft, sweet cooked apple folded into flaky pastry, finished with a scattering of almonds and a drizzle of toffee for a deeper, darker sweetness. That’s this coffee. It’s gentle, rounded and eminently quaffable. It’s also a bit of a rarity. This is Icatu, a Brazilian varietal through and through, and you very rarely see it outside Brazil. Finding it on a hillside in western El Salvador, grown by friends we’ve bought from since 2008, was too good to pass up. A Brazilian a long way from home Icatu is a proper slow-burner. Breeders at Brazil’s Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) started work on it in 1950, and the first cultivars weren’t released until 1992. That’s over four decades of patient crossing and selecting. The goal was to bring the disease resistance of Robusta (Coffea canephora) into Arabica without losing what makes Arabica worth drinking. Breeders crossed Robusta with Red Bourbon, then backcrossed the offspring with Mundo Novo, generation after generation, keeping the plants that held onto that resistance while growing and tasting more and more like Arabica. The result is a tall, vigorous, productive plant with useful resistance to coffee leaf rust. It was built for Brazil, though. Its height suits big, spaced-out plantations where machines do much of the harvesting. Steep Central American hillsides, usually picked by hand, are a very different proposition. So why grow it here? Leaf rust tore through Central America in the early 2010s, and El Salvador was hit particularly hard. Farms built on traditional varietals like Bourbon saw huge losses, and many producers started looking for plants that could stand up to the disease. Icatu fits that brief neatly. It even carries Bourbon in its family tree, the varietal El Salvador’s coffee reputation was built on. In the cup, Icatu tends towards sweet and rounded, with chocolate, caramel and nutty notes and a generous body. Natural processing, where the whole cherry dries around the seed, pushes it further into soft, cooked fruit, and that’s exactly what’s happened here. Grown at altitude in volcanic soil, it’s a world away from the Brazilian plantations it was bred for, and it’s all the better for it. On the farm Finca Argentina sits near the town of Turin, in the Ahuachapán department, high in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range at between 1,150 and 1,350 metres above sea level. Its neighbours include the Los Ausoles geothermal field, more than 130 mud pots, fumaroles and steam vents, and those volcanic soils are a big part of why the region’s coffee is so good. The landscape also gives its name to El Beneficio Los Ausoles, the cooperative dry mill in Ahuachapán where the family’s coffee is hulled, sorted and readied for export. It’s been doing this for over four decades, and in recent years it has been chosen to dry mill and export El Salvador’s Cup of Excellence winning lots. The team there have a long relationship with Mauricio and have been consistent, reliable partners for us as buyers too. The farm is split into seven tablones, individual plots each with their own character. This Icatu comes from Guachipelin, a six-hectare plot replanted in 2016 with Icatu, Centroamericano H1, Yellow Bourbon and a little SL-28. If you caught our recent Natural H1, this is its next-door neighbour: same plot, same weather, same hands, very different family tree. The experimenting hasn’t stopped. In 2023 the family planted Mundo Novo, with a first harvest expected this year in late 2026. So Icatu and one of its own parents are now growing on the same Salvadoran farm. The Martinez family The Martinez family have owned Finca Argentina since 1967. By 2008 its yields had slumped, until Alejandro, back home after banking in New York, found records showing the farm had been classified for a Q auction in 2005. He started sending samples to roasters across Europe, and one landed with us in Stafford. We’ve been buying ever since. Today his father Mauricio runs the farm from Canada with a trusted team on the ground, who are given real responsibility over how each tree is managed. Traceability Country: El Salvador Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Ahuachapán Nearest town: Turin Farm: Finca Argentina Producer: The Martinez Family Dry mill: El Beneficio Los Ausoles (COAUSOLES) Elevation: 1,150 to 1,350 m.a.s.l. Variety: Icatu Processing method: Natural GPS: 13°56’29.4”N 89°47’04.1”W Cupping scores Cupping notes: Apple strudel, almond, toffee Cup of Excellence cupping scores Clean cup: 6/8 Sweetness: 6.5/8 Acidity: 6/8 Mouthfeel: 6/8 Flavour: 7/8 Aftertaste: 6/8 Balance: 6.5/8 Overall: 6.5/8 Correction: +36 Total: 86.5/100 If you’d like to find out more about how we score coffees, make sure to read our blog post “What Do Coffee Cupping Scores Actually Mean?” and if you’d like to try cupping yourself, we’ve got a guide to that too! What is Coffee Cupping. Roasting information Medium dark: Take this one steadily through development and right up to the brink of second crack. A pop or two as you drop is fine, but no further.

El Salvador: Finca Argentina, Centroamericano H1, Natural Imagine a slice of banana bread spread with thin-cut marmalade and topped with a few pomegranate seeds. Sweet, tangy, and beautifully balanced, this is a coffee you'll keep coming back to. Roland last visited El Salvador in February as the harvest at Finca Argentina was just coming to an end. The farm is at a lower altitude than other producers we work with in El Salvador, so that shifts the harvest a little earlier than San Jose or Nejapa, for example. He travelled with Mauricio to visit the Los Ausoles mill to cup the various seasonal coffee lots available this year. This Natural Process Centroamericano H1 lot cupped incredibly well and is a great example of what we love about Salvadoran single origin coffee. On The Farm Near the town of Turin, in the Ahuachapán department of El Salvador, you’ll find Finca Argentina. It’s located in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, surrounded by natural hot springs at an altitude of 1,300 metres above sea level. The farm’s 35 hectares are separated into 7 distinct areas or "tablons". Each of these individual plots has its own character, shaped by the landscape and the small peculiarities of microclimate that come with changes in altitude, aspect, soil, and even local volcanic activity. Over time, the team at Finca Argentina have put a lot of effort into exploring different varietals, discovering what grows best on each of the farm’s 7 tablons. The Guachipelin tablon spans 6 hectares and was replanted in 2016 with H1 (Centroamericano), Yellow Bourbon, Icatu, and a small amount of SL-28. The Martinez Family The farm was first acquired by the Martinez family in 1967. Dr Luis Guillermo Martinez bought the estate, and it quickly became his favourite and produced well. By the time his son, Mauricio, inherited it in 2008, cherry yields had dropped significantly and he was unsure how best to proceed with his newly owned farm. It was here that his son, and our now good friend, Alejandro, stepped in. He had just relocated back to El Salvador after working as a city banker in New York and decided to lend a hand to his father’s business interests while looking for work. Ale’s interest was piqued when he saw that the farm had been classified for a Q auction in 2005, showing it had the potential for great coffee. He and his cousin, based in London, set about sending green coffee samples to roasters wherever they could, seeking a specialty buyer. One of those samples landed with us in 2008, and we’ve been buying ever since. Mauricio and Alejandro both now live in Canada, but Mauricio still owns and oversees the farm remotely. He relies on his farm manager and the on-site team to handle day-to-day operations and to keep him up to date, while visiting El Salvador regularly to check in. The Martinez family employ 50 people during harvest and 30 throughout the rest of the year. Mauricio's daughter Beatrix, who hadn't previously been involved in coffee, is also now stepping in to help with the family business. Processing of the coffee is carried out at the Los Ausoles dry mill, a cooperative facility in Ahuachapán. They have a very good relationship with Mauricio and have shown great consistency and reliability for us as buyers. Highly Skilled Workers Throughout the growing season at Finca Argentina, individual workers are given a lot of responsibility over pruning and managing trees. On many farms, pruning would be quite regimented, for example every other tree receiving a skeleton prune in a particular section. At Finca Argentina, these decisions are left much more to the knowledge of the staff, who decide on a plant-by-plant basis what kind of pruning is needed as they work through an area. It is easy to ruin coffee production if the wrong pruning choices are made, so this demonstrates a huge amount of trust and is only possible because the farm retains and develops workers’ skills over the long term. El Salvador has been hit hard by the wider labour shortage affecting other Central American countries. Fortunately, Finca Argentina is currently managing well, although they continue exploring ways to retain sufficient staff during harvest season. The Martinez family employ 50 people during harvest and 30 throughout the rest of the year. They contribute labour and materials to improve local infrastructure and grow 25kg of corn annually for each worker. They’re also implementing more ecological management practices, using compost and other organic products to minimise environmental impact while intercropping beans to enrich the soil. Their work has improved biodiversity and cup quality, and the future for coffee production at Finca Argentina is looking very bright. Centroamericano H1 The Centroamericano varietal might not be the best known, but we think it's certainly worth paying attention to. Sometimes misunderstood, Centroamericano H1 is one of the more exciting developments in coffee breeding, offering resilience for farmers and the potential for exceptional coffee when grown in the right place. To give it its full name, Centroamericano H1 F1 Hybrid is a Sarchimor. The Catimors and Sarchimors are a large group of coffee varietals created by crossing Arabica varietals with the Timor Hybrid, a naturally occurring hybrid of Arabica and Robusta discovered nearly 100 years ago in Timor. In the case of Centroamericano H1, its parents are T5296 (a Timor Hybrid crossed with Villa Sarchi) and Rume Sudan, an Ethiopian landrace. H1 is part of a new generation of F1 hybrids, developed through collaboration between CIRAD (France), CATIE (Costa Rica), PROMECAFE, World Coffee Research, and other partners. After years of trials, it was officially released to Central American coffee farmers around 2010, with the goal of combining high yields, disease resistance, and excellent cup quality. There are clear reasons it has become popular on specialty coffee farms across the region: the plant is quick-growing, resistant to leaf rust, and high-yielding. Trials have shown H1 can produce 22-47% more yield than traditional varieties, with hybrid vigour often leading to 30-50% more output and earlier fruiting. While Catimors and Sarchimors as a group sometimes suffer from a reputation for lower flavour potential, Centroamericano H1 has proven it can deliver excellent brews in the right conditions. A lot from Nicaragua scored 90.5 in the 2017 Cup of Excellence, earning a Presidential Award, proof that resilience and quality can go hand in hand. This balance of practicality and potential is why we're excited to share the Centroamericano H1 from Finca Argentina. For the Martinez family, H1 is both insurance against leaf rust and a proven success in the cup. The coffee produced is comfortably on par with the farm's other varietals, and we hope you really enjoy this lesser-known varietal from our wonderful friends. Traceability Country: El Salvador Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Ahuachapán Nearest Town: Turin Farm: Finca Argentina Producer: The Martinez Family Dry Mill: Los Ausoles Elevation: 1,300 m.a.s.l. Variety: Centroamericano (H1) Processing Method: Natural GPS: 13°56'29.4"N 89°47'04.1"W Cupping Scores Cupping Notes: Banana Bread, Marmalade, Pomegranate Cup of Excellence Cupping Scores Clean Cup: 6/8 Sweetness: 7/8 Acidity: 6/8 Mouthfeel: 6.5/8 Flavour: 6.5/8 Aftertaste: 6.5/8 Balance: 7/8 Overall: 6.5/8 Correction: +36 Total: 88/100 If you'd like to find out more about how we score coffees, make sure to read our blog post What Do Coffee Cupping Scores Actually Mean?. Roasting Information Medium Dark - Give this coffee a confident push through first crack and into development, right up to the edge of second crack before you drop.

El Salvador: Finca Argentina, SL28, Natural Expect a sweet but crisp honeydew melon, backed up by gentle yellow plum. A smooth and silky coffee, the darker sweetness of dates and figs comes through on the finish and aftertaste. Roland last visited El Salvador in February as the harvest at Finca Argentina was just coming to an end. The farm is at a lower altitude than other producers we work with in El Salvador, so that shifts the harvest a little earlier than San Jose or Nejapa, for example. He travelled with Mauricio to visit the Los Ausoles mill to cup the various seasonal coffee lots available this year. We absolutely had to buy this Natural SL28 lot once we tasted it. On The Farm Near the town of Turin, in the Ahuachapán department of El Salvador, you’ll find Finca Argentina. It’s located within the Cordillera de Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, surrounded by natural hot springs at an altitude of 1,300 metres above sea level. The farm’s 35 hectares are separated into 7 distinct areas, or "tablons". Each of these individual plots has its own character, shaped by the landscape and the small peculiarities of microclimate that come with changes in altitude, aspect, soil, and even local volcanic activity. Over time, the team at Finca Argentina have put a lot of effort into exploring different varietals, discovering what grows best on each of the farm’s 7 tablons. The Guachipelin tablon spans 6 hectares and was replanted in 2016 with H1 (Centroamericano), Yellow Bourbon, Icatu, and a small amount of SL28. The Martinez Family The farm was first acquired by the Martinez family in 1967. Dr Luis Guillermo Martinez bought the estate, and it quickly became his favourite and produced well. By the time his son, Mauricio, inherited it in 2008, cherry yields had dropped significantly and he was unsure how best to proceed with his newly owned farm. It was here that his son, and our now good friend, Alejandro, stepped in. He had just relocated back to El Salvador after working as a city banker in New York and decided to lend a hand to his father’s business interests while looking for work. Ale’s interest was piqued when he saw that the farm had been classified for a Q auction in 2005, showing it had the potential for great coffee. He and his cousin, based in London, set about sending green coffee samples to roasters wherever they could, seeking a specialty buyer. One of those samples landed with us in 2008, and we’ve been buying ever since. Mauricio and Alejandro both now live in Canada, but Mauricio still owns and oversees the farm remotely. He relies on his farm manager and the on-site team to handle day-to-day operations and keep him up to date, while visiting El Salvador regularly to check in. The Martinez family employ 50 people during harvest and 30 throughout the rest of the year. Mauricio's daughter Beatrix, who hadn't previously been involved in coffee, is also stepping in to help with the family business. Processing of the coffee is carried out at the Los Ausoles dry mill, a cooperative facility in Ahuachapán. They have a very good relationship with Mauricio and have shown great consistency and reliability for us as buyers. Highly Skilled Workers Throughout the growing season at Finca Argentina, individual workers are given a lot of responsibility over pruning and managing trees. On many farms, pruning would be quite regimented, for example every other tree receiving a skeleton prune in a particular section. At Finca Argentina, these decisions are left much more to the knowledge of the staff, who decide on a plant-by-plant basis what kind of pruning is needed as they work through an area. It is easy to ruin coffee production if the wrong pruning choices are made, so this demonstrates a huge amount of trust and is only possible because the farm retains and develops workers’ skills over the long term. El Salvador has been hit hard by the wider labour shortage affecting other Central American countries. Fortunately, Finca Argentina is currently managing well, although they continue exploring ways to retain sufficient staff during harvest season. The Martinez family employ 50 people during harvest and 30 throughout the rest of the year. They contribute labour and materials to improve local infrastructure and grow 25kg of corn annually for each worker. They’re also implementing more ecological management practices, using compost and other organic products to minimise environmental impact while intercropping beans to enrich the soil. Their work has improved biodiversity and cup quality, and the future for coffee production at Finca Argentina is looking very bright. A Kenyan Varietal In El Salvador SL28 is a tall coffee plant with wide-spreading branches. It produces relatively large, deep red cherries among large leaves on leggy branches that tend to droop with age. It is a low-yielding cultivar with a susceptibility to coffee leaf rust, Coffee Berry Disease, and nematodes, but its phenomenal cup quality means that it remains a favourite among specialty coffee drinkers. Despite its demanding nature, the results in the cup are one of the key reasons farmers continue to grow it. In 1931, A.D. Trench, the senior coffee officer at Scott Agricultural Laboratories in Kenya, travelled through Tanganyika (now Tanzania) and found coffee trees in the Moduli district that appeared to tolerate drought, disease, and pests better than other plants he had observed. He collected seeds from these specimens and returned them to the laboratory in Kenya. Testing confirmed their superior drought tolerance compared with other varietals under evaluation. This population became known as Tanganyika Drought Resistant and was distributed to farmers for planting. Between 1935 and 1939, Scott Laboratories began selecting individual trees from different coffee populations to evaluate characteristics such as yield, cup quality, drought tolerance, and disease resistance. Each selection was assigned an "SL" number. SL28 was selected in 1935 from a single tree originating from the Tanganyika Drought Resistant population. That tree went on to become one of the most important varieties in specialty coffee, renowned for its pronounced acidity, vibrant fruit character, and exceptional quality when grown at high altitude. Want to learn more about SL28? Check out our Varietal Guide here: Coffee Varietal Guide: SL28 Traceability Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Ahuachapán Nearest town: Turín Mountain Range: Cordillera de Apaneca-Ilamatepec Farm: Finca Argentina Producer: Mauricio Martinez Dry mill: Los Ausoles Elevation: 1,300 to 1,360 m.a.s.l. Variety: SL28 Processing method: Natural GPS: 13°56'29.4"N 89°47'04.1"W Cupping Scores Tasting notes: Honeydew melon, mango, papaya. Cup of Excellence Cupping Scores Clean Cup: 6/8 Sweetness: 7/8 Acidity: 6/8 Mouthfeel: 7/8 Flavour: 7/8 Aftertaste: 6.5/8 Balance: 6/8 Overall: 6.5/8 Correction: +36 Total: 88/100 If you'd like to find out more about how we score coffees, make sure to read our blog post “What Do Coffee Cupping Scores Actually Mean?” and if you'd like to try cupping yourself, we've got a guide to that too! What is Coffee Cupping. Roast Information Medium dark - give this coffee a confident push through first and into the gap, right up to the edge of second before you drop. Recommended Resting Time Our coffee is roasted fresh and ships quickly – which means it might arrive a little lively. Freshly roasted beans are still busy releasing carbon dioxide (a natural byproduct of roasting), and all that activity can make your brew taste a bit sharp or unsettled. Give it a few days to calm down and something lovely happens. Those brighter, edgier notes mellow out, sweetness develops, and the flavours you're actually after can really come into focus. We recommend resting your coffee for at least 5-7 days from the roast date on the bag before brewing. A little patience goes a long way. That said, this is just what we've found works best – not a rule. If you can't wait, we completely understand. Tuck in whenever you like.

El Salvador: Finca Argentina, Yellow Pacamara, Washed A mix of candy and fresh fruit, this cup starts with tinned peaches and strawberries up front, which shifts into pineapple as it cools. There's a lingering sweetness to it like Fruit Salad sweets - a super sweet and elegant coffee. A mix of candy and fresh fruit, this cup starts with tinned peaches and strawberries up front, which shifts into pineapple as it cools. There’s a lingering sweetness to it like fruit salad sweets - a super sweet and elegant coffee. Roland last visited El Salvador in February as the harvest at Finca Argentina was just coming to an end. The farm is at a lower altitude than other producers we work with in El Salvador, so that shifts the harvests a little earlier than San Jose or Nejapa for example. He travelled with Mauricio to visit the Los Ausoles mill to cup the various fresh lots from the farm and everybody agreed that the Yellow Pacamara was tasting terrific this year. On the table at the time the samples included a Washed and a Natural, both of which cupped very well - you can buy Natural Yellow Pacamara coffee right here. On the Farm Near the town of Turín, in the Ahuachapán department of El Salvador, you’ll find Finca Argentina. It’s located within the Cordillera de Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, surrounded by natural hot springs at an altitude of 1,300 metres above sea level. The farm’s 35 hectares are separated into 7 distinct areas or ‘tablons’. Each of these individual plots have their own character, shaped by the landscape and the small peculiarities of microclimate that come with changes in altitude, aspect, soil, and even local volcanic activity. Over time, the team at Finca Argentina have put a lot of effort into exploring different varietals, discovering what grows best on each of the farm’s 7 tablons. The Martinez Family The farm was first acquired by the Martinez family in 1967. Dr Luis Guillermo Martinez bought the estate, and it quickly became his favourite and produced well. By the time his son, Mauricio, inherited in 2008, the cherry yields had dropped significantly, and he was unsure how best to proceed with his newly owned farm. It was here that his son (and our now, good friend) Alejandro, stepped in. He had just relocated back to El Salvador after working as a city banker in New York and decided to lend a hand to his father’s business interests while looking for work. Ale’s interest was piqued when he saw that the farm had been classified for a Q auction in 2005, showing it had the potential for great coffee. He and his cousin based in London set about sending green coffee samples to roasters anywhere they could, seeking a specialty buyer. One of those landed with us in 2008 and we’ve been buying ever since. Mauricio and Alejandro both now live in Canada, but Mauricio still owns and oversees the farm remotely. He relies on his farm manager and the on-site team to handle day-to-day operations and to keep him up to date, while visiting El Salvador regularly to check in. The Martinez family employ 50 people during the harvest and 30 the rest of the year. Mauricio’s daughter Beatrix, who hadn’t previously been involved in coffee, is also now stepping in to help with the family business. Processing of the coffee is carried out at the Los Ausoles dry mill, a cooperative facility in Ahuachapán. They have a very good relationship with Mauricio and have shown great consistency and reliability for us as buyers. Highly Skilled Workers Throughout the growing season at Finca Argentina, individual workers are given a lot of responsibility over pruning and managing trees. On many farms, pruning would be quite regimented (e.g. every other tree gets a skeleton prune in this section) whereas Finca Argentina are leaving these decisions much more up to the knowledge of the staff, deciding on a plant-by-plant basis what kind of pruning is needed when they work through an area. It is easy to ruin coffee production on trees if you don’t make the right pruning choices, so this shows a lot of trust and is only possible when they retain and develop their workers’ skills long term. El Salvador has been hit hard by the wider labour shortage impacting other Central American countries. Luckily Finca Argentina are currently managing well, but they are having to consider more ways to retain necessary numbers of staff during harvest season. The Martinez family employ 50 people during the harvest and 30 the rest of the year. They contribute labour and materials to improve infrastructure in their community’s towns, and grow 25 kg of corn annually for each person. They’re also implementing more ecological management: using compost and other organic products to minimise environmental impact, and intercropping beans to enrich the soil. Their work has improved the land’s biodiversity and cup quality, and the future for sustainable coffee beans from Finca Argentina is looking very bright! What Is Yellow Pacamara? The Yellow Pacamara coffee trees are mostly planted in the upper sections of the Finca Argentina, in the San Jorge tablon and upper parts of the adjacent tablons. The San Jorge tablon has been planted exclusively with Yellow Pacamara since 2018. The seeds for the Pacamara plants growing here were sourced from the Mierisch family in Nicaragua. You may well have previously enjoyed a Limoncillo Yellow Pacamara roasted by us, well these plants are cousins! The varietal has been performing very well on the farm in El Salvador. The team at Finca Argentina love it for its productivity and hardiness, which fascinatingly are not qualities you would expect from this varietal when grown back in Nicaragua! The varietal is a cross between Pacas and Maragogipe, made in 1958 by the Salvadoran Institute for Coffee Research (ISIC). Several generations were selected before the fifth generation was distributed to farmers, and the plants can still be variable, with some seedlings showing the traits of one parent or the other. It is grown primarily in El Salvador, where it regularly tops the Cup of Excellence for its high cup quality. Check out our Varietal Guide for more information on Pacamara here. Traceability Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Ahuachapán Nearest town: Turín Mountain Range: Cordillera de Apaneca-Ilamatepec Farm: Finca Argentina Producer: Mauricio Martinez Dry mill: Los Ausoles Elevation: 1,300 to 1,360 m.a.s.l. Variety: Yellow Pacamara Processing method: Washed GPS: 13°56'29.4"N 89°47'04.1"W Cupping Scores Tasting notes: Tinned peaches, strawberry, fruit salad sweets. Cup of Excellence Cupping Scores Clean Cup: 7/8 Sweetness: 7/8 Acidity: 6.5/8 Mouthfeel: 6/8 Flavour: 6.5/8 Aftertaste: 6/8 Balance: 6/8 Overall: 7/8 Correction: +36 Total: 88/100 If you’d like to find out more about how we score coffees, make sure to read our blog post “What Do Coffee Cupping Scores Actually Mean?” and if you’d like to try cupping yourself, we’ve got a guide to that too! What is Coffee Cupping. Roast Information Medium - push this steadily through the gap but finish the roast before second crack gets going, to preserve the complex fruit flavours.