El Salvador Olive Tree Estate Honey ProcessCoffee Bean Intro:

Finca Montes El Corozo

El Salvador · Olive Tree Estate

Estate: Olive Tree Estate

Elevation: 1800-1950M

Variety: Kenya SL28

Processing Method: Honey Process

Grade: SHB

El Salvador is known as the "Land of Volcanoes" and is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It is also the only Central American country that does not border the Atlantic Ocean, neighboring Guatemala to the northwest and Honduras to the northeast.

Salvadoran coffee has a unique flavor profile, with tastes of Chinese toon, balanced acidity and sweetness, rich aroma, and captivating tonal qualities.

Salvadoran coffee is primarily divided into five main growing regions: Apaneca, Central Belt, Chichontepec, Tecapa & Cacahuatique Mountain Range. These regions are generally located at altitudes above 1,200 meters on volcanic ash-covered highland slopes or plateaus. Most of the coffee is grown using the "shade-grown" method (coffee planted under tree shade). The advantages of this method include uniform ripening of coffee beans, increased mucilage content, higher weight, greater formation of sweet polyphenols, and more complete development of the coffee bean’s main components. Excessive sunlight can cause coffee tree leaves to curl, leading to moisture loss, which is detrimental to photosynthesis, reduces carbon dioxide absorption, and lowers sugar synthesis.

Olive Tree Estate began cultivating coffee in 1930, surrounding the very famous "LOS VOLCANES" (Volcano Group) National Park in El Salvador. The farm is surrounded by rare volcanic flowers and is home to wild animals from the national park, such as deer, raccoons, and wild boars, forming an interesting wildlife ecosystem.

Since the estate is located on a volcano, it sits on highly fertile volcanic soil. In 2006, the Ilamatepec volcano erupted, and volcanic ash directly covered the estate. Although the coffee plantation was damaged at the time, the fertile volcanic soil that covered it in the following years created an even richer soil environment for the estate.

Since 2016, Olive Tree Estate has been a fully organic farm and also holds Rainforest Alliance certification. Coffee production is managed using traditional methods, washed with clean water, and dried on clay patios.

Olive Tree Estate grows coffee in the traditional way passed down in El Salvador for centuries. It uses local Inga trees, pomelo trees, and olive trees as shade trees, with over 75 different tree species providing cross-shading to form a natural forest intertwined with coffee trees. This, combined with the nourishment of the volcanic soil, creates this beautiful coffee plantation. The variety of this coffee is mainly Kenya SL28. Kenya SL28 is one of the two most esteemed varieties produced by the Scott Laboratories in Kenya during the 1930s. Although Scott Laboratories no longer exists, it is now part of the National Agricultural Laboratories, which is part of the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization.

Both varieties are Bourbon derivatives, although they come from different lineages: SL-28 was developed from a drought-resistant variety originally planted in Tanganyika, part of modern-day Tanzania. It is generally considered to be of the highest quality but has lower yields compared to other commercial Arabica varieties. These SL variants all exhibit bronze-colored young leaves. The yield from SL28 is not as high as expected, but the copper-colored leaves and broad bean-shaped beans offer excellent sweetness, balance, and complex, varied flavors, along with notable citrus and dark plum characteristics. The coffee has strong, rich acidity, a dense mouthfeel, and a beautiful balance.

This coffee is processed using the honey process method, which is widely used throughout Central America. Due to the extremely sticky and highly sugary mucilage layer on the surface of the coffee beans, people often refer to it as "honey." In the honey process, some or all of the "honey" is left on the beans during drying. After harvesting, grading, and removing the pulp and skin, the coffee is placed on drying beds to dry.

Coffee processed with this method tends to have slightly higher acidity than the natural washed process but much lower acidity than the washed and natural sun-dried processes.

Roasting Analysis

Roaster: Yangjia 800N (roast capacity 300g)

Charge temperature 180°C, power 120, damper 3; turning point at 1’36”, when temperature reaches 140°C, open damper to 4, keep power unchanged; when temperature reaches 151°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage; when temperature reaches 176°C, reduce power to 80, keep damper unchanged;

At 8’34”, bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 9’57”, keep damper unchanged, develop for 2’05” after first crack, drop at 196.8°C.