El Salvador Cerro Las Ranas
Cerro Las Ranas, the Hill of Frogs, is phenomenal and hard to come by. This is a fully pulped-natural coffee, where the seed is laid out in the sun with the sweet fruit around it. The nose of this coffee is deep, thick, and rich, with an expected earthiness. There is a light jasmine aroma, which is fantastic. The dense, round, and syrupy body has hints of cocoa powder and molasses. The mouthfeel has a slight astringency of orange zest. The finish is quick with a flavor of chocolate almond and light herbal notes. It's as exciting as I hoped it would be. This coffee is a great find.
Aroma: Deep, rich, earthy, jasmine
Cup: Thick, syrupy, cocoa powder, molasses, orange zest
Finish: Quick, chocolate almond, herbal
One Pound
About this Coffee
GROWER: Jose Antonio Salaverria
REGION: Apaneca, Ahuachapán, El Salvador
ALTITUDE: 1450 – 1780 meters
PROCESS: Pulped Natural and dried in the sun
VARIETY: Bourbon, Pacamara, Sarchimor, Pacas, Catuai, and Caturra
HARVEST: November – March
SOIL: Volcanic loam
Cerro Las Ranas (the Hill of Frogs) coffee is named after the farm’s lagoon that is populated by thousands of frogs, located in Apaneca within the department of Ahuachapan, El Salvador. The coffee is produced by JASAL, a family-owned operation where Jose Antonio Salaverria and his sons take great pride in their meticulous attention to detail, from year-round farm management to quality control in the cupping lab, and everything in between. In the pulped natural process (also called a honey process), JASAL pulps perfectly ripened cherries and then dries the coffee beans, still covered in mucilage, on clay patios while constantly turning the beans to ensure even drying.