El Salvador Las Nubes Natural

Forest fruit with hints of whisky and toffee

Farm: FincaLas Nubes

Owner: Ernesto Lima

Region: Buenos Aires, Santa Ana

Elevation: 1450 m

Variety: Red Catuaí

Processing: natural - 48 h anaerobic fermentation

SCA score: 87

Importer: Falcon Coffees

When Isidro Batlle bought this farm in the 1920s, he was so inspired by how high-altitude it is that he named it Finca Las Nubes, for "the clouds." Celebrating almost 100 years of coffee production, Las Nubes is still one of the standard-bearers for quality in the region, placing special emphasis on improvement in processing and experimentation with varieties and other innovations.

Farm manager Eduardo Moran Larin not only oversees the mostly Bourbon variety trees here, but also a 15-manzana section that is dedicated to a development project growing Typica, Kenya, and Castillo varieties in order to diversify with more coffee-leaf-rust-resistant plants.A century of attentive farming and passion for coffee has allowed the farm to develop a singularly impressive soil structure, and good husbandry also contributes to the success of the land: Altitude plus proper fertilization plus careful consideration for the density of the plants and the management of the whole ecosystem are part of what make Las Nubes a special environment that produces special coffees.

Las Nubes produces Washed, Honey, and Natural coffees, and the focus is on quality from harvesting through processing, all the way to the cup. This is a Natural process of the Bourbon variety that comprises the majority of the coffee grown here.