El Salvador Los Amates: Sample Coffee Roasters

El Salvador
Los Amates

The farm’s name refers to two Amate trees (Umbrella trees) that have graced his land for many years and are, therefore, protected. We taste plum, lime zest, rockmelon

Body Acidity

Roasted omni for filter and espresso

A family decision, the recommendation of a friend involved in coffee cultivation, and the availability of a plot of land led Armando to venture into coffee farming. Since then, he and his family have spent ten years learning about this crop and, five years ago, they started focusing on producing quality coffee at his Finca Los Amates. The farm’s name refers to two Amate trees (Umbrella trees) that have graced his land for many years and are, therefore, protected.

Armando says the farm makes him enormously proud. “Above all, I feel free when I work, and it’s satisfying to see the plantation full of crops, hoping to harvest the fruit every year while receiving remuneration. Today, I’m the representative and administrator of the farm, and the entire agronomic management is in the hands of my son, Rudi Jovani. During harvest time, we hire people from the community to do certain tasks, and we work as a family the rest of the year.”

Regarding coffee processing, Armando and Rudi say it all starts with excellent selective picking. To process honey coffees, they first let the cherries ferment in clean bags for 72 hours (about three days), depending on the weather. This is made possible due to the elevation and cold climate of the region where the farm is nestled. To remove the lower-density cherries, they also float the coffee. Washed coffees also undergo a 48-hour fermentation in cherry; then, the coffee is pulped and fermented in parchment paper for another 12 hours. The drying process is entirely on raised beds. On average, honey coffee takes 30 days to reach its optimal moisture level for storage, and washed coffee takes around 20 days. It is essential to mention that these drying times coincide with the climate in the region during the coffee season. Currently, the varieties grown on the farm are Pacas, 98%, and Cuscatleco, 2%.

Sourcing and ingredients

100% Pacas coffee beans, roasted by us on Gadigal land / Sydney.

Green coffee certified PECA.

Country grade: Unknown ?

Packaging

Bag: ABA Certified home compostable
Label: Recyclable
Valve (on bags larger than 250g): General waste
Coffee ordered online is shipped in a recyclable cardboard box

Brewing this coffee

We recommend brewing this coffee 15–49 days post-roast. If pre-ground, brew as soon as possible. Our advice on storing coffee.

1:3
dose:yield
ratio

To brew on espresso, we recommend using 20g of beans (dose) to get 60g of espresso out (yield), during 24-28 seconds.

g dose

g yield

View the how to brew espresso (single origin) guide.

1:16.7
beans:water
ratio

To brew in infusion/fed brewers (V60, Chemex) use a ratio of 1:16.7 ratio of beans:water.

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:14.3
beans:water
ratio

To brew in immersion brewers (plunger, AeroPress, Kalita, batch brewer) we recommend using a 1:14.3 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:12
beans:water
ratio

To brew as cold brew we recommend using a 1:12 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

Producer: Armando Ovidio Rodriguez Santos
Farm/Coop: Los Amates
Country: El Salvador
Altitude: 1450m above sea level
Varietals: Pacas
Process: Washed
Harvested: February 2023
Body
Acidity
Tasting notes: Plum, lime zest, rockmelon
Roast style: Omni

Varietals

Pacas varietal

A natural mutation of the Bourbon variety

The location

Coffee from El Salvador

El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America, is colloquially referred to as the ‘Land of Volcanoes’. Renowned for producing exceptional coffees with great clarity and sweetness. The coffee industry first took off after their primary crop, indigo, declined with the invention of chemical dyes in the 19th Century.

Farm processes

Washed process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.