Day 7 | El Salvador Finca Ethiopia Gesha

This anaerobic natural Gesha comes to us from Los Naranjos Coffee, located in the Apaneca region of Ahuachapán, in the mountains of El Salvador. Los Naranjos is a group founded by high school friends that operates several farms in the area. This lot was grown on Finca Ethiopia, a 34.5-hectare farm where only 13 hectares are cultivated and the rest is a natural forest, teaming with native flora and fauna. The farm is situated just behind the Ilamatepec Volcano and has breathtaking views. Its volcanic soil is rich in nutrients ideal for growing healthy crops. All of the farm's coffee is 100% shade-grown under various species of native trees.

The owners of Finca Ethiopia are dedicated to protecting the environment. They use soil studies to evaluate nutrients in the land thus minimizing the use of fertilizer. Weed maintenance is done manually with tools such as machete or cuma, so no chemicals are used. Groundwater is protected through soil conservation work, curtains, water collection pits, and more.

Finca Ethiopia's coffee cherries are carefully tested with refractometers to measure their brix levels before being harvested. This measures their sucrose concentration. Cherries with higher brix readings are usually sweeter and more flavorful. At peak ripeness the cherries are picked and sent to the mill for processing. At the mill, the cherries are tested again and separated into classifications. Cherries with 0 to 20 degrees brix (A) are processed as Full Washed or Semi-Washed while cherries with 21 to 30 degrees brix, or higher levels of sucrose, (AA or AAA) are processed as Natural or Experimental.

The anaerobic natural process needs to be carefully monitored to avoid overfermentation. Cherries are placed in tanks with degassers and drain valves. This allows the pH level to be controlled and the sugar development to be measured. The coffee is fermented in the tanks for 72 hours under constant monitoring until the pH levels reach 4.05 degrees. It is then moved to the drying area to be pre-dried for three days or until it reaches approximately 60% humidity. Then it is taken to raised drying beds. The coffee is dried for an average duration of 30-40 days or until it reaches 10% humidity. It is then moved to the warehouse and allowed to rest for 24 hours before being placed inside grain pro bags and sealed in polypropylene bags.

Los Naranjos Coffee carries out extensive quality control cuppings at different times after the processing to measure consistency and ensure top quality. The cup is delightfully clean and floral with notes of baked apple, fresh apricot, and mint leaves.