About This Coffee
This single-variety lot consists of 100% washed Maragogype and was grown on Finca La Antonieta, located in the San Miguel region of El Salvador.
It’s believed that Maragogype is a natural mutation of Typica, and has historically been known for its large bean size and high cup quality. As a result of its single dominant gene, Maragogipe produces unusually large leaves, cherries, and seeds – which has led many coffee professionals to name it the “elephant bean”. These are the largest of all known coffee varieties.
Researchers have also concluded that Maragogype is a parent species of Pacamara and Maracaturra, which both also yield very large beans. While the latter originated from Nicaragua, the former grows primarily in El Salvador, where it frequently receives high scores at annual Cup of Excellence competitions.
The journey of Maragogype to Finca La Antonieta begins 25 years ago when Rene Pascal, an agronomist, visited Brazil in order to study their local varieties. While there, he observed that Maragogype, a Typica mutation, produces a unique and excellent cup profile when planted in very specific conditions. Pascal brought some seeds back with him, found La Antonieta to be an ideal location, as it sits at a higher elevation that most farms in El Salvador, is protected from sea breezes due to its location on the northern slope of the San Miguel volcano, and receives only four hours of mild sunlight a day.
Growing Coffee In El Salvador
In 1975 El Salvador was, remarkably for its size, one of the largest coffee producers in the world, exporting 3.8 million bags. Today, a good year is 600,000 bags. Interestingly 86% of all coffee producers are responsible for only 20% of the country’s production, having 7 hectares or less. This means, that 80% of coffee production is controlled by only 14% of producers. And yet, because peace in El Salvador and the opening of coffee farming to smallholders coincided with the emergence of the specialty coffee sector in consuming countries and the inevitable rise of new-thinking generations within old families, there is a pervasive focus on quality regardless of farm size.
History of El Salvador Coffee
Coffee was first introduced to El Salvador from the Caribbean as a garden crop in the mid-18th century but did not gain a commercial production foothold until 1850’s because indigo, easier to grow and more profitable, was king. Coffee was first exported—695 bags—in 1856 and the government began to encourage coffee farming. Exponential growth coincided with the development of synthetic indigo near the end of the century. At one time, El Salvador was one of the largest producers of commercial coffees. Today, with a focus on quality over quantity, 70% of coffee from El Salvador sells for a premium above commodity prices.
Country: El Salvador
Region: Volcan Chaparrastique, San Miguel
Farm: Finca La Antonieta
Elevation: 1450 MASL
Variety: Maragogype
Processing: Washed
Tasting notes: Medium bodied & sweet with dark chocolate, sugar cane, candied orange, cherry jam, and passionfruit.