Finca Kilimanjaro
Finca Kilimanjaro is owned by the Batlle family, and has been run mainly by Aida Batlle, the sixth generation of the family to produce coffee, for almost 2 decades. Aida is a true trailblazer in the coffee world, having been the first woman to win a Cup of Excellence, the inaugural Salvadoran competition in 2003.
Aida Battle
Fleeing to Miami during El Salvador’s brutal Civil War, Aida returned to the family’s farms in the late 90’s. Although much of the coffee from the farms was pre-contracted to a local buyer, Aida was free to experiment on the highest plot of land, with the highest quality potential, Finca Kilimanjaro.
It was not long after this that her attention to detail paid off, and the Cup of Excellence win opened the doors not only for the Batlle farms, but for a wider quality revolution in El Salvador. Since then, Aida has worked with some of the finest roasters across the world, innovating in new varietals, processing techniques, the export of cascara, and developing direct trade models.
This coffee comes from Kilimanjaro itself, located high on the slopes of the Santa Ana volcano, not far from the town of Santa Ana. The volcanic soils of Santa Ana are very fertile, leading to excellent yields as well as quality.
Here, as on all of the family farms, the level of control at all stages is impressive. Only the ripest red cherries are picked, fermentation protocols are followed to the letter, and coffee is stored and dry-milled under exacting conditions.
Kilimanjaro Natural
Grown by highly experienced producer Aida Batlle, the first ever female Cup of Excellence winner, on the Kilimanjaro farm which is one of three Batlle family farms, located on the slopes of the Santa Ana volcano.
This lot is a blend of the varietals grown at Kilimanjaro, which includes both SL varietals and Bourbon, processed using the natural method. This leads to a rich and sweet cup, with notes of dark chocolate and complex stewed red berries, reminiscent of raspberry jam.
This year we were fortunate enough to be able to purchase a small amount of the Washed Kilimanjaro as well. Follow the link below to read more about Finca Kilimanjaro, and the washed lot from Aida Batlle.
This month, the washed Kilimanjaro is also featured in our Discovery Subscription, alongside a washed lot from long time collaborator Diego Baraona at Los Pirineos, read more by following the link below.
