El Martillo SL28 - El Salvador - Filter - Washed Coffee

TASTE NOTES
Citrus, Dark Berries, Blossom

VARIETAL
SL28

PROCESS
Washed

ALTITUDE
1700 masl

We’ve been buying coffee from El Martillo in El Salvador for a few years now and have come to look forward to tasting amazing rich chocolatey Bourbons from there, this year is different. When we saw they had produced an SL28 we were intrigued to see what it would taste like. SL28 is one of the only varietals synonymous with a tasting note, people see SL28 and expect blackcurrant, so seeing a producer we associated with classic chocolatey coffees had grown such a fruit forward varietal was very exciting. This coffee certainly doesn’t disappoint, there’s a depth and a structure in the cup that we’ve come to expect from coffees from El Salvador.

Finca El Martillo is a 19.5 hectare farm in Santa Ana, El Salvador owned and run by the Salaverria family. The farm sits at 1700 metres above sea level which is very high for El Salvador and certainly a contributing factor in the quality of the coffees. Primarily the farm produces Bourbon and Hibrido San Francisco a hybrid of Pacas and Bourbon Elite.

One reason for planting different varietals is of course a growing demand for interesting and unique coffees but another reason is far more pragmatic. SL-28 (Scott Agricultural Laboratories) is a variety that is developed for its hardiness and drought resistance while still being known for exceptional cup quality.