EL SALVADOR - El Carmen

The Flavour Profile

Some coffees carry the story of a family in every cup — and this single origin from El Carmen Estate, farmed by the Alfaro family for four generations, is exactly that kind of coffee. Grown at 1,300 metres in El Salvador's Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, this medium roast specialty coffee is fully washed for a clean, bright cup, opening with juicy apricot, brown sugar and warm brownie sweetness. It's a small, limited lot with a naturally improved quality — the very first year El Carmen has offered it.

Expect a smooth, well-balanced medium body with a gentle sweetness that lingers, the fully washed process giving a clarity and brightness that lets the fruit and sugar notes really shine through.

Drinking it black? Apricot leads the way, backed by brown sugar and a rich, brownie-like depth — clean and balanced with just enough brightness to keep it interesting. Great as a filter or V60 to really show off that clarity.

Drinking it with milk? The brown sugar and brownie notes round out beautifully, turning smooth and dessert-like, with the apricot softening into the background — lovely as a flat white or in a cafetiere.

This is a single origin specialty coffee, good for all brewing methods, freshly roasted to order by Nick in our roastery, just outside Canterbury — never sitting on a shelf waiting for you. Buy a kilo and save 10%, and just ask if you'd like it ground for your brewing method of choice.

The Little Details

This coffee comes from El Carmen Estate & Beneficio, a 70-hectare farm near the village of Ataco in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountains of Ahuachapán, El Salvador, owned and run by Fernando Alfaro & Family — the fourth generation of Alfaros to farm this land since it was founded in the mid-19th century. Grown at 1,300 metres above sea level under around 60% shade cover, this is a small, limited lot — the very first year El Carmen has offered this particular selection. The coffee is fully washed and sun-dried on clay patios.

About the Process

Every cherry at El Carmen is hand-picked only when perfectly ripe, then de-pulped the very same day to lock in freshness and quality — a level of care that runs through everything this estate does.

Once de-pulped, the beans are naturally fermented before being washed clean with pure spring water, stripping away the fruit for a bright, clear cup. From there, they're laid out to sun-dry on traditional clay patios, soaking up the mountain air at 1,300 metres above sea level.

Once dried, the coffee is stored in parchment inside wooden silos, where it's left to rest for a minimum of 60 days under carefully controlled conditions — allowing the beans to reach a uniform humidity and colour throughout. Finally, every bean is prepared by hand, with defects removed and everything screened to a uniform size before export.

It's a process built on patience and precision, run by a family who've been perfecting it for four generations — and it's exactly that care, from a clay patio in Ataco to your morning brew, that gives this cup its quiet, dependable sweetness.