This is our ninth season working with Fernando and the Lima family, who are key figures in the coffee we source. We first cupped their incredible coffees on our recent trip to El Salvador. This washed Pacamara stood out with its juiciness and complexity, bringing taste notes of white grape, red apple and darjeeling tea. Grown at 1400 – 1800 meters above sea level, the Pacamara trees thrive, leading to an exceptional cup profile. This coffee is harvested by hand and delivered to Fernando’s own mill, Los Balcanes, where it is pulped, washed and then dried on patios.

Las Laderas is made up of sixty hectares, 40 planted and 20 still natural virgin forests. Surrounded by two national parks (Los Volcanes and Cerro Verde), the farm is in one of the highest regions in El Salvador. Las Laderas has been owned by the Lima family for three generations, going back to 1930. Originally uncultivated lands, each generation has been planting little by little, turning it into the 300-person operation it is today.

The family’s hard work and dedication have led them to be Rain Forest Certified and cup of excellence winners multiple times. Following the 2006 eruption of the Santa Ana volcano that covered the farm in a layer of ash, Fernando took the opportunity to stop the use of pesticides and fertilisers, as well as replanting shade trees with native species including walnut, cypress and jacaranda.