Finca Nejapa, Washed Yellow Caturra, El Salvador

Flavour description: An aroma of Baileys Irish Cream. A round and well-balanced coffee with flavour notes of milk chocolate and canned peach with an aftertaste of hazelnut. The coffee is medium weight and creamy.

Category: Comfortable     Colour: Creamy Mint-green  Producer: Gloria Rodrigues & Luis Rodrigues Farm: Finca Nejapa Lot: Roma Varietal: Yellow Caturra  Process: Washed Region: Ahuachapán, Santa Ana Harvested: April 2025 Altitude: 1550 masl Sustainability project: Installed new solar panels and filters for clean water at the farm.  Price transparency: The FOB prices we paid for this coffee was 3.8 USD per pound

Finca Nejapa Washed Yellow Caturra is produced by Gloria and Luis Rodrigues on their farm, Finca Nejapa. Here they have special lot (tablón), called Roma, which Drop Coffee buys exclusively. At Roma, both Red and this Yellow Caturra are grown. The difference in fruit colour is one factor of the coffee's flavour. The theory is that the red cherry is taking in more light than the yellow as the yellow reflects more light. The Caturra varietal from Roma is the only Caturra that has been awarded in the Cup of Excellence award in El Salvador.

Tablón Roma, is located in the western side of Finca Nejapa, and was left unplanted until 10 years ago when Gloria obtained a loan through a local investment bank to redevelop and replant this area. The variety chosen for this plot was red and yellow Caturra, planting this short-size producing tree with good yields was needed to repay the loan. The variety and terroir combination resulted in great quality coffee as well. 

The success of Finca Nejapa is the result of a strong family unit. The farm was initially inherited by Gloria’s father, José María Rodrígues Herrera in the 50’s, at that time the property was devoted to dairy cows, and it was José Maria who started growing coffee of the Bourbon variety. Little by little, he noticed coffee was extremely productive in that area, and that is where the story begins.

Today Gloria runs the farm with her son-in-law Luis. Their hard work and skills have really paid off in the quality of their product. By working together, they maintain and potentially improve the working conditions as well as the cup profile. Every year, Gloria establishes nurseries with selected seeds to keep her farm in good shape, balance production, and secure future crops. 

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To read more about the Rodrigues family and Finca Nejapa click here.

This washed Yellow Caturra from Finca Nejapa showcases the bright, balanced character typical of El Salvador's western highlands. Produced by Gloria Rodrigues & Luis Rodrigues in Ahuachapán, the coffee grows at 1,550 meters altitude, where cooler conditions can encourage the development of nuanced sweetness. Yellow Caturra is known for its clean, approachable cup profile, and Drop Coffee's notes of Baileys Irish Cream, milk chocolate, canned peach, and hazelnut suggest a coffee with creamy body and subtle fruit complexity—qualities well-suited to filter brewing or espresso. The washed process here allows the varietal's inherent sweetness and acidity to express clearly. This lot represents a classic expression of Central American specialty coffee from a single producer.