El Salvador San Gabriel

The Coffee: Finca San Gabriel
This coffee is extremely versatile, clean and sweet. It has hints of lemon, deep fruit and floral nose.

Quick Facts
Region: Potrero Grande Apaneca
Country: El Salvador
Elevation: 1,450 meters

Buy Coffee:
El Salvador San Gabriel

Coffee Production in El Salvador
There are currently 23,000 coffee growers in El Salvador and close to 90% of them own farms smaller than 17 hectares in size. The area cultivated by small and mid-size farmers supplies 80% of the country’s total production. Additionally, approximately 15,000 small farmers have organized themselves into 119 cooperatives in the reformed sector, providing economic and social support to member families. There are also around 3,000 producers who are members of traditional cooperatives, which are responsible for about 30% of El Salvador’s total coffee production.

The Region: Cordillera Apaneca
The Cordillera Apaneca-Ilamatepec is a mountain range located in the western part of El Salvador that includes the provinces of Ahuachapán, Santa Ana, and part of Sonsonate. Known as the “golden coffee belt,” it was the first region to cultivate coffee in El Salvador and continues to be the country’s largest coffee producer. In fact, much of the local development, including the construction of cities, cathedrals, railways, and highways, was financed through the production of coffee.

Footpaths cutting through the forested mountainsides crisscross coffee farms at elevations ranging from 1,400 to 1,700m above sea level . The climate is tropical and humid with an average temperature of 68°F, and due to the region’s biodiversity it has been named a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO. In 2005, the Santa Anna volcano (also known as the Ilamatepec volcano) erupted and spewed volcanic ash over the region, which shut down coffee production for almost two years but simultaneously enriched the soil for future cultivation. The coffee harvest here runs from October to April. 

Our coffee from El Salvador has unique floral and sweet notes on the medium roast. This is a micro lot coffee that does exceptionally well on pour overs and regular drip. A restaurant favorite.