El Salvador Ariz Family Arusi Anaerobic Natural

Flavors of stone fruits, rum, and berries

This coffee comes from our longtime partners and dear friends, the Ariz Family, whose work has helped shape our relationship with El Salvador for more than a decade. Ricardo Ariz oversees farming across the family’s three small farms, including El Aguila, Los Charras, and El Amel. His son Marco manages processing at El Amel, home to the family’s restored mill, Fenix, a once-forgotten site revived into a hub for innovation and quality.

El Salvador remains a rare stronghold for heirloom coffee varieties such as Bourbon, Pacas, and Pacamara, preserved through decades of slower industrial change. The Ariz Family builds on this legacy while pushing boundaries through meticulous processing. Marco, an Expert Q Processor, applies advanced fermentation techniques to elevate each micro lot.  

This anaerobic natural lot reflects that spirit of experimentation and partnership. Grown from Ethiopian seeds introduced by Oliver Stormshak (sourced from Arusi Banko in Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia) and carefully fermented in oxygen-limited conditions, the result is a coffee that honors El Salvador’s heritage while expressing a distinctly modern and expressive profile.

The El Salvador Ariz Family Arusi Anaerobic Natural represents a compelling collaboration with the Ariz Family, showcasing the meticulous craft behind modern processing techniques. By utilizing an anaerobic natural method, producers create a controlled environment that can significantly influence the final cup profile, often resulting in heightened sweetness and complex, fermented characteristics. While natural-processed coffees frequently exhibit heavier fruit profiles and increased body, the specific application of anaerobic fermentation can further amplify these traits, often yielding the distinct notes of stone fruits, rum, and berries found in this selection. To better understand how these specific techniques impact the final cup, you can explore our processing methods explainer. As you experience the nuances of this coffee, we encourage you to reference the flavor wheel to help identify and articulate the intricate layers of flavor present in this unique lot from El Salvador.