El Salvador: Los Pirineos Honey Bourbon

One of the newest in our lineup of coffees is a delicious Bourbon varietal from Los Pirineos farm in El Salvador. Produced by Diego Baraona — a fifth generation coffee producer who took charge of the farm after his father passed in 2020, carrying the tradition and legacy of over 130 years of experience and knowledge cultivated by his family.

Diego’s farm at Los Pirineos is situated on the flanks of a lone volcano at a height of 1400 meters above sea level. This particular location offers a unique microclimate, with sunny days and chilly breezes, making the area perfect for growing, processing, and drying coffee.

Diego has made excellent use of this climate by positioning his raised drying beds between two peaks, which creates a wind tunnel through which a breeze regularly blows. The beds are exposed to the sun for twelve hours every day, and the constant wind controls the temperature, making it the perfect place for drying honey-processed and natural coffees.

Quality is paramount at Los Pirineos, but Diego also considers social and environmental responsibilities. All of the water used in production and processing of the coffee comes from collected rainwater. Bees are also raised here for honey production and for their numerous benefits to the area's ecosystem.

Around 60 people are employed by Diego on the farm, and he makes an effort to ensure that those who harvest the coffee are also working on other tasks there throughout the year for reliable and sustainable labor.

This lot of Bourbon coffee underwent Black Honey processing. After harvest, ripe cherries are pulped and the mucilage is left intact. Pulped coffee is then spread in a thin layer on shaded raised drying beds. The shade provides an extended drying time relative to other honey processes used at Los Pirineos - coffee is dried for about 25 days until reaching the optimal humidity.

We find some truly unique flavors in this coffee - it’s warming, like mulled spices with candied cherry, toasted sesame and sweet buttery chick-o-stick candies complemented by a juicy orange acidity.