El Salvador

Los Pirineos

A transparent representation of the Pacamara varietal, with floral aromas followed by rich and juicy orange in the cup.

Produced on the legendary Los Pirineos farm, a project driven by the late Gilberto Baraona.
Coffee expression
A floral & rich coffee
Whole Bean Coffee
250g (8.8oz) or 1000g (35.3oz)

Regular price: $22.00
incl. vat/tax
Sale price: $22.00
incl. vat/tax
Regular price: ~~$22.00~~
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Producer
The Baraona Family

Varietal
Pacamara

Process
Honey

Native Salvadoran Pacamara varietal

El Salvador

Los Pirineos

The Los Pirineos farm has been in the Baraona family for 135 years. The farm is named for the Pyrenees mountain range that separates France and Spain; the Baraonas thought the landscape was very similar. The family ran the coffee farms for generations, and they were a fairly steady source of income until the brutal Salvadoran Civil war forced the family to leave their land for 12 years between 1980 and 1992. During this period they lost 90% of their land. Gilberto Baraona was the only cousin that returned to the farms in 1992, against the wishes of his grandparents, who wanted their descendants to avoid the hardship they had been through during their time producing coffee. From this point on, fourth-generation coffee producer Gilberto sought to rebuild and refocus efforts on the farm.

The family now owns and runs 5 farms, a coffee milling and exporting company, and a company who builds mills for other farmers. Since Gilberto’s tragic death last year due to Covid-19, the company has been run by his children, Diego and Fabiola. The family’s farms are all located between 1200 and 1550 masl on the Tecapa volcano, just outside the town of Berlin in the Usulutan region of south-eastern El Salvador. Los Pirineos is the flagship of the project, with the highest altitude and widest selection of varietals, many rather rare. They specialise in Bourbon and Pacamara, and own some of the oldest heirloom Bourbon varietals still existing in El Salvador. The varietal garden is home to more than 17 varietals, and is a World Coffee Research accredited centre for testing experimental new varietals, and for genetic blueprints for iconic varietals such as the Bourbon and Pacamara.

Careful honey process enhances fresh fruit character

Los Pirineos

Tecapa

All of the coffee from these farms is processed at the Tecapa mill, located just down the slopes from the Pirineos farm, at 1400 masl on the volcano from which it takes its name. Tecapa was built in 2014, specially designed to process high quality micro lot coffees, and takes cleanliness and systems very seriously. Gilberto always compared the operation to a fine dining restaurant, where preparation and systems in the kitchen help to deliver the highest possible quality of final product with minimal stress during service (or harvest) time. This level of control and precision requires a well trained staff, so the Baraonas make sure of high pay and good conditions, meaning even the seasonal workers tend to return year after year.

The mill is equipped with all stainless steel tanks and a unique location creates the perfect conditions for fermenting and drying to exacting standards. It is placed in a valley which runs from east to west, giving optimal sun exposure and creating a natural wind tunnel, aiding in drying coffee efficiently. This is also one of the highest altitude mills in the country, so temperatures are comparatively low, leading to longer controlled drying times and better shelf life for the coffees. All of this hard work leads to some of the best coffee in El Salvador, the Baraona farms are a mainstay in the top ranks of the El Salvador Cup of Excellence.

This lot is of the Pacamara varietal, which has become somewhat of a signature for El Salvador and particularly Los Pirineos. A careful yellow honey process, the Baraona family’s most ‘washed-like’ honey. In all of their homey processes, 100% of mucilage is left on the seed, and the difference is made in the drying protocol. To create a yellow honey, fermentation and temperature increase is minimised by turning the coffee every 20 minutes during the first 3 days, and then 10 times a day until it reaches 12% moisture content. This creates a very clean and transparent representation of the Pacamara varietal, with floral aromas followed by orange and rich brown sugar in the cup.

Technical Data

Producer
The Baraona Family
Region
Usulutan
Altitude
1600 masl
Varietal
Pacamara
Process
Honey
Harvest
March 2021

Honey Process

With the honey process a certain amount of mucilage and pulp are allowed to remain on the coffee bean during depulping. The cover will stay with the bean during fermentation and drying thereby contributing to the sugars absorbed by the bean and affecting the flavour notes of the final cup. The amount of mucilage remaining defines the type of honey process - white, yellow, red or black in ascending order of mucilage concentration. If they are processed properly, the coffees can take on quite a lot of sweetness and flavours while remaining clean.

Raised drying beds (sometimes referred to as African drying beds) are often preferable when working with honey processed coffees, because of the additional airflow they allow. The air ensures that the beans dry evenly and reduces the incidence of fungi and bacteria formation. On the other hand, some farmers are accustomed to using sun-exposed patio drying that require a regular raking of beans to avoid moulds. While total fermentation and drying time depend on such choices as well as ambient temperature and moisture levels, red honey processing easily needs two weeks from depulping until drying has completed.

Continue to explore:

Los Pirineos

Los Pirineos

Tecapa

Technical Data

Honey Process

Brew Guides

Guides

Equipment