San Cayetano, Washed Red Caturra, El Salvador

Flavour profile:  A clean yet round cup with an aroma of mature red apples. Flavour notes of red apple cider and nougat. An aftertaste of red grape. Colour: Wine red Category: Comfortable  Producer: Carmen and Rafael Silva Hoff with family Farm: San Cayetano Varietal: Red Caturra Harvested:February 2025 Region: Ahuachapán, Santa Ana Process station: San Pedro owned by Rafael and Carmen Da Silva Hoff Process: Washed processed. The coffee is depulped the same day as harvest, soaked and dried on raised beds in three different levels to control the drying. The beans are turned over by hand continuously every day. For the washed process, the water the reservoir is used. Staff onsite also only turn the coffee by hand, log the moisture at different stages of the drying process, and have access to a great cupping lab with a well-trained crew in taste and routines.  Elevation: 1450 meters above sea level Price Transparency: The FOB price we paid for this coffee was $4.62/lb

San Cayetano Red Caturra is produced by the Rafael and Carmen Da Silva Hoff of El Salvador. While sourcing green coffee we meet a lot of hard-working producers, but none are as focused and work as many hours of the day as Carmen and Rafael Da Silva Hoff, who run six different farms and a processing mill to boot

Rafael was first introduced to coffee growing when he was 21 years-old and got his first farm from his father. A few years later he met his wife Carmen. The couple got married in their young 30s and since then they are running their coffee business together. Today their two sons, Rafael Gerardo and Rodrigo, and their daughter Valeria are also involved in the business, making a it full family operation. 

In 2010, they decided to invest in their own mill, called San Pedro, not to make more money, but to gain full control of the full process of their coffee production. Today at San Pedro they not only process coffee from their own farms separated by lots and varietals, and but also for other producers in the area. 

In El Salvador, the biggest challenge is security for the people and the coffee fungus called leaf rust (roja). As in most places in El Salvador, the neighbouring farms to San Cayetano are suffering badly from leaf rust which can easily be transferred to the plants at San Cayetano by the wind. To combat this, Rafael and Carmen have built more windbreakers to shield their plants and are applying their self-produced organic fertilisers.

To learn more about the Da Silva Hoff family and the San Cayetano farm click here.

Carmen and Rafael Silva Hoff farm San Cayetano in Ahuachapán, a premier coffee region straddling the El Salvador–Guatemala border. This washed Red Caturra grows at 1,450 meters, where volcanic soils and elevation encourage the crisp acidity and bright fruit character typical of the area's best coffees. Drop Coffee's roast emphasizes the lot's apple-forward profile—red apple, apple cider, and red grape—alongside a subtle nougat sweetness that adds body and complexity. The combination of varietal expressiveness and careful processing captures the refined character that Ahuachapán is known for, making this a standout example of what single-origin Central American specialty coffee can achieve.