Introduction:This article delves into a micro-lot of 100% Pacamara natural-processed coffee from Finca Colombia in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range of El Salvador. From the estate’s century-long history, the origin of the variety, its refined natural processing method, to the expert oversight and social responsibility practices at the El Borbollón processing facility, we provide a comprehensive analysis of this specialty coffee that boasts flavors of strawberry, lemonade, and cream. Readers will gain an in-depth understanding of its growing environment, processing details, and brewing recommendations — making it a must-read for pour over enthusiasts and coffee connoisseurs alike.
Pacamara is one of the representative specialty varieties in El Salvador’s coffee-growing regions. Introduced from Honduras and further refined locally, it is widely acclaimed in the specialty coffee world for its rich and complex flavor profile. The micro-lot of Pacamara natural beans introduced in this article comes from Finca Colombia, a renowned coffee estate in El Salvador’s famous Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain region. It presents an enticing strawberry sweetness, bright lemonade acidity, and a smooth creamy body — a pour over option not to be missed.
This batch of coffee beans is 100% of the Pacamara variety, grown and harvested under the personal supervision of the estate owner, Rafael Gerardo Cáceres. The estate is situated at a high altitude of approximately 1,500 meters, with a cool climate and significant diurnal temperature variation, providing ideal conditions for the optimal ripening of coffee cherries. During harvest, professionally trained pickers carefully select only fully ripe red cherries and collect them in traditional woven baskets to ensure no damage to the fruit, laying a solid foundation for subsequent natural processing.
The processing of these beans is carried out at the renowned El Borbollón processing facility in the Santa Ana region. The mill is part of the historic Albolez coffee family in El Salvador, boasting extensive processing experience and technical expertise. During processing, the first step is flotation to remove unripe cherries and foreign matter. The selected coffee cherries are then evenly spread on raised drying beds for approximately 19 days of natural drying. Throughout this period, workers frequently turn and sort the cherries to ensure even sun exposure while removing damaged or discolored ones to maintain consistent overall flavor.
Notably, this coffee comes from a small plot within the estate called La Corriona (also referred to locally as a “tablón”). It is understood that this name has no specific meaning in Spanish and was given by the estate’s original owners, the Cáceres family. Finca Colombia was founded in 1916 by María Magaña Menéndez de Llanos and her husband Francisco Antonio Llanos. Dr. Llanos brought his passion for coffee cultivation from his homeland to El Salvador, laying the foundation for the estate’s development.
Although Finca Colombia is located in a remote area with challenging farming conditions, the Llanos couple persisted in managing it until the end of their lives. It was later inherited by their only daughter, Otilia Llanos de Barrios, and then passed on to her daughter, Evelyn Barrios. However, influenced by local social and political unrest in 2016, Evelyn and her family decided to sell the estate. Rafael Gerardo Cáceres, having heard legendary stories about Finca Colombia since childhood — especially anecdotes about its extraordinary coffee quality — was determined to purchase the estate on its centennial to preserve its history and spirit.
Today, young Gerardo oversees all aspects of planting and post-harvest processing at the estate. He insists on focusing on traditional varieties, currently cultivating only Bourbon and Pacamara, and employs a “tablón” (small plot) single-management approach. Even though he is fully aware that these varieties are more susceptible to rust disease, his commitment to traditional varieties remains a core value of the Cáceres family.
All coffee from Finca Colombia, including the natural Pacamara lot introduced in this article, is sent to El Borbollón processing facility for post-harvest processing. The mill is led by Eduardo Álvarez, whose father also had a deep love for coffee and passed on a commitment to quality to the next generation. Under Eduardo’s leadership, the factory has not only improved processing techniques but also actively assists partner estates in enhancing quality and provides professional cupping and technical guidance. Thanks to his efforts, 10 out of 15 high-altitude partner estates have successfully entered the prestigious Cup of Excellence competition, with 4 of them even earning COE President’s Awards with scores exceeding 90.
Eduardo emphasizes that the drying process is crucial to the flavor development of natural-processed coffee. For this batch of Pacamara naturals, the cherries are spread in extremely thin layers and frequently turned in shaded areas to ensure even drying. At times, the facility also employs partial small-batch low-sun drying methods, allowing the coffee cherries to receive only 4 to 5 hours of sunlight per day, thereby extending the drying time. This is believed to help enhance the depth and complexity of the final flavors.
In addition to focusing on coffee quality, the Cáceres family and the El Borbollón facility also place great emphasis on social responsibility and sustainable operations. They provide free medical services and medications, pay wages above the local minimum, and actively support local children’s access to education, striving to improve community living conditions. Furthermore, the Alvarez family collaborates with non-governmental organizations to address child nutrition issues in rural areas and implements various environmentally friendly measures to ensure the sustainable development of the coffee industry.
In summary, this Pacamara natural lot from Finca Colombia in El Salvador not only showcases the pinnacle of specialty coffee in terms of variety, processing, and flavor, but the history, craftsmanship, and social commitment behind it are also worthy of deeper exploration by coffee enthusiasts. For pour over lovers, it is recommended to use a medium-light roast, with water at 90–93°C, and a fine grind to fully highlight its strawberry sweetness, lemon acidity, and the smooth creamy mouthfeel.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
