This coffee comes to us from Finca La Esperanza, a family-owned farm with some of the most fertile soils in El Salvador. Finca La Esperanza can be found on the slopes of the Laguna Verde Mountain between 1,180-1,385masl, located in part of the volcanic mountain range in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec region.
Symbolizing the union of the Magaña and Menendez families, the farm marks when they started their coffee cultivation journey together. Their shared hope and aspirations for the farm’s success are expressed in the name “Esperanza,” the Spanish word for “hope.” Finca La Esperanza is one of four farms that has been in the family since the 1890s and is home to six generations of coffee producers. Managed by Gustavo and Enrique Magaña, fifth and sixth generation producers, respectively, the farm employs 20 people during the off season and 90-120 people during harvest.
During the harvest, each lot goes through 3 rounds of selective picking. Then, the coffee is brought to the family’s coffee mill, San Ramon, for processing. To deliver consistent coffee year after year, the family follows the traditional practice of natural fermentation, washing, and patio drying. That being said, they’ve implemented a unique drying methodology where they increase the thickness of the layers of coffee laid out on the patios as the humidity decreases. This both prevents the sun from scorching the beans and achieves a more even drying.
