About this Coffee
Pacamara originated in El Salvador through crossbreeding of the local Pacas variety with Maragogipe, a variety known for its large seeds. This unique hybrid is synonymous with high cup quality in the country. When expertly cultivated and processed near the top of the Santa Ana volcano at Finca Santa Elena, Pacamara shines with notes of chocolate, cherry and green apple.
On October 1, 2005, Finca Santa Elena owner Don Fernando Lima was gearing up for another coffee harvest when the Santa Ana Volcano erupted for the first time in 101 years, spewing ash and rock across his farm. Located a few hundred meters below the crater of the volcano, Finca Santa Elena was devastated. The farm lost more than 97 percent of its harvest that year, and it took five years for the farm to fully recover. Faced with an enormous challenge, Don Fernando realized that the devastation also brought an opportunity to regroup and make Finca Santa Elena a better coffee farm.
When Don Fernando replanted Santa Elena, he intentionally set aside a few parcels to cultivate Pacamara, a variety that is well known for its large bean size and success at national quality competitions. Pacamara is a cross between the Pacas and Maragogipe varieties. Pacas was discovered in 1949 on a farm in Santa Ana, not far from Finca Santa Elena. The variety is a natural dwarf mutation of the Bourbon variety, and its small stature allows farmers to plant trees closer together, increasing yield. Maragogipe is a mutation of the Typica variety known for its gigantic seeds and high cup quality. A hybrid of these two varieties, Pacamara offers more brightness and fruit quality than the typical Salvadoran profile and stands out as a gem of specialty coffee in the country.
We believe in paying more.
Since 2009, we have published an annual transparency report to serve as a blueprint for our green coffee purchasing practices and a response to chronically low prices in the coffee industry. We believe paying more for green coffee is an important investment in the long-term viability of our coffee-growing partners’ businesses and our supply.