MARCH Bean of the Month | El Salvador Santa Ana

El Salvador Santa Ana is sweet and mild, a smooth coffee made for all day sipping. The ground coffee is rich with cocoa and dark chocolate, and a pretty floral note of coffee blossom. The first taste is gentle citrus, more mandarin than orange, followed by a mellow stone fruit peachiness. Honey and hazelnut complete the cup, and the acidity is mild, like a light twist of lime. Altogether the Santa Ana is an easy-going coffee for those of us who love complexity and flavour, but want it without the punch of bitterness or bright acidity.

COFFEE ORIGIN

El Salvador is a small country in terms of geography – it comes in at 21 041 km2 or just under a third of the size of Tasmania – but it crams a lot into that area. The Santa Ana Bean of the Month comes from Ahuachapan, the westernmost department of El Salvador and the smallholder farms which have produced this coffee occupy a corner of the country bordered by Guatemala to the West, volcanic mountain ranges to the North and the coral reef strewn beaches of the Pacific to the South. Altogether these elements create a perfect coffee growing environment, with rich soil, cool breezes and high altitudes combining to support slow growth and the development of sweet, complex flavours.

Country: El Salvador
Region: Ahuachapan
Town: Sonsonate
Varietals: Bourbon, Pacas
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1000 – 1800m above sea level

TASTING NOTES & CUPPING PROFLIE

Aromas: dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee blossom
Flavours: peach, mandarin, orange, honey, hazelnut
Acidity: subtle lime
Body: medium
Aftertaste: pomegranate
Cupping Score: 85/100

BREW GUIDE

Order the El Salvador Santa Ana as an espresso based coffee and you’ll be rewarded with a smooth-drinking long black or a lovely latte.

As a V60 filter coffee the notes of peach and honey come through for a sweet, sunshiney cup with a clean finish.

If you’re a stovetop moka pot afficionado, keep an eye on the brew and pull it from the heat as soon as it starts to gurgle through: this is a coffee where overextracting is a crime against flavour.

In a French Press, the Santa Ana is best with slightly cooler water and a slightly shorter brew time. Let the kettle sit just a couple of extra seconds off the boil, and plunge just a few moments before you usually would. You’ll notice the difference in the crispness of flavours, we promise.