Above: Drying patios at Hacienda Santa Rosa; a view from below of the highest point of the farm, where this Pacamara lot (& Buena Esperanza) are from; the wet mill on the farm.

Our relationship with Gustavo Alfaro has been fruitful over the past seven years, and you can find his coffee throughout our offerings -- Buena Esperanza (a perennial Cup of Excellence winner), Cerro Verde, and several other lots throughout the year. This year Gustavo seperated a small number of bags of Pacamara, a coffee variety that is grown in very small amounts at the highest point of the farm close to the Buena Esperanza plot.

Pacamara is a cultivated variety from El Salvador, a cross between Pacas (a natural mutation of Bourbon) and Maragogype (a natural mutation of Typica). Like Maragogype, it's easy to distinguish by its larger bean size. In the cup, the dry aroma is notably floral, and that follows through in the background of the cup as jasmine. Very buttery and sweet flavors, with a marked pleasant acidity.

Lots like these aren't to be missed, and they come in very small amounts. There was only enough of this harvested to produce five 152 pound bag of green coffee; we're grateful for the effort that Gustavo & his team put in to separate and reserve this lot for us.