Agriculture has long been the backbone of El Salvador’s economy, and coffee has historically been one of its most significant vertebrae. In the early 1900s, coffee accounted for 90% of El Salvador’s export earnings, though its dominance declined throughout the century. Nevertheless, in the year 1980 the central American nation still saw the peak of its coffee export earnings, over $615 million USD (~R11 billion) in revenue.

Today, coffee makes up less than 2% of El Salvador’s total exports, but the country still remains a celebrated origin in the specialty coffee space. The country’s geography and climate provide ideal growing conditions for some of the most coveted specialty coffee varieties, such as Bourbon, Pacas, and Catuai.

This lot, a limited release provided to us by Truth. Coffee Roasting (get it while you can!), is of the latter variety, and was grown in Santa Ana on Finca Los Nogales. Santa Ana is one of El Salvador’s most well-known coffee producing regions due to its high altitude and fertile soil as a result of its proximity to the volcanic Apaneca Ilamatepec mountain range. Los Nogales forms part of the JASAL coffee estate, a hundred year-old family-owned business, and was the first coffee farm the Salavarria family ever owned. 

This particular lot has undergone a relatively unorthodox but increasingly popular method of processing involving anaerobic fermentation. Truth. calls this anaerobic method an “anaerobic [soak]”. You can read more in the note below, but the simple version is this: following harvest the coffee cherry is depulped, and the coffee seeds (more commonly called the “beans”) are sealed in an oxygen-deprived environment. In this case, they are submerged too. Under these conditions, anaerobic fermentation occurs in the beans due to their natural sugars and bacteria, resulting in novel, bold and often funky flavour profiles.

Phaedon's tasting notes

I received my sample of this coffee in an inconspicuous "standard" Truth bag with a label that said only 'El Salvador.' It came with company, several other tasty new Truth releases, but upon first brew, it became quite clear that this was something special enough to stand out even amongst a tasty crowd.

What I love most about this coffee is its complexity. Fruity flavours abound, accompanied by a well-integrated acidity, a lingering finish, and a slight fermented note. I picked up apples, tropical fruits, berries and a veritable cocktail of other flavours, perhaps even some vanilla. It was a pleasure to explore, and I particularly enjoyed it in a  Chemex, French press and siphon. I'd highly recommend trying it.

Truth’s notes

"Nestled in the fruitful Santa Ana region and named after the walnut trees that once grew there, Los Nogales stands as a symbol of tradition and innovation. The [Salavarria] family focuses on sustainability, traceability and quality, combining traditional manual methods with modern technology and practices to achieve their commitment to producing extraordinary coffee."

"[This] commitment goes far beyond their passion for coffee and extends to their community. The social initiatives that the family offer are scholarships and development programs for their workers’ families, which further emphasize their commitment to both quality coffee and the local community."

“We have been supporting experiments with Jasal for several years through our ‘Los Nogales Project’, where we have exclusive access to the coffees from the first farm that the Salaverria family ever bought. This lot is solely Catuai. This coffee is double-soaked—beans are de-pulped with all mucilage removed and soaked in a tank under clean water for 10 to 12 hours. The water is removed and refreshed, and a further 10 hours of soaking take place. Beans are then sun-dried on raised beds.”

Coffee details

• Truth’s tasting notes: Orange, mango, guava, papaya. Sweet and syrupy. Whisky finish.
• Country: El Salvador
• Region: Santa Ana, Apaneca-Llamatepec
• Producer: Jasal
• Variety: Catuai
• Process: Anaerobic soaked
• Altitude: 1300 - 1800masl