Finca La Esperanza

Delicate peach & florals, juicy body with a sweetly-lingering finish.

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This farm exists in the region of El Balsamo in the Quezaltepc, La Libertad at the base of the San Salvador Volcano and is produced by a family called Belismelis. The family has resisted the general tendency to plant rust resistant varietals maintaining a focus on quality. The farm is an enclave for migratory wildlife with a large portion of the owned land set aside for the preservation of nature. This coffee presents with delicate peach and deeply-rich florals, juicy body and has a sweet-lingering aftertaste.

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More Info

This farm is an enclave for local and migratory wildlife, coffee trees grow under shade provided by century old Mezcal trees (not to be mistaken with the agave plant) with views from Zapotitan Vallley down below. La Esperanza borders with the El Boqueron National Park, a main feature of San Salvador Volcano crater.

Due to the roya crisis of the last few years, most farms in the area have forgone the traditional Bourbon and Pacas varieties for rust resistant ones. However, La Esperanza has kept most of it's traditional tree populations in the higher elevations inside the farm, which have been kept productive and vigorous with integrated farming practices. Most of these lots have Arabigo (Typica) variety in between the Bourbons with gives the cup it's distinct flavour. Arabigo is the original variety which covered coffee plantations in the late 1800s when coffee was introduced into the country.

This La Esperanza lot also includes the Centroamericano variety (a.k.a H1) developed for Central American farms by the French research institute CIRAD; it is a breeding of a rust resistant Sarchimor and an heirloom Ethiopian variety called Sudan Rume. The variety was introduced in La Esperanza in 2015, it is known as the "perfect variety" as it is rust-resistant, high yielding and most importantly produces a high quality complex cup.

The agronomy team have trained the picking staff, which return to work at the farm every harvest, to handpick cherries at the maturation peakensuring the coffee reaches it's maximum flavour potential. The cherries are then transported to the nearby San Miguel mill where each day lot is processed individually under strict processing protocols to ensure maximum quality.
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Finca La Esperanza, produced by the Belismelis family, represents the distinct terroir of the El Balsamo-Quezaltepec mountain range in La Libertad, El Salvador. As a region, this area is recognized for its volcanic soil and favorable microclimates, which often contribute to the development of complex flavor profiles in high-quality harvests. When evaluating such coffees, roasters like Five Senses look for a balance between sweetness and acidity, often highlighting delicate characteristics like peach, florals, and stone-fruit.

For those exploring the nuances of these specific notes, it can be helpful to reference a flavor wheel to better categorize the sensory experience. While every harvest is unique, coffees from this region are frequently celebrated for their refined structure. By focusing on the meticulous work of the Belismelis family, this offering provides a clear window into the potential of El Salvador’s coffee production, emphasizing clarity and a vibrant, fruit-forward profile that remains a hallmark of the region.