Los Andes, Anaerobic Natural Bourbon, El Salvador

Flavour profile: A sweet and chocolatey aroma. This coffee has a medium intense sweetness of dried apricot. Flavour notes of dark chocolate and stewed apples. The body is medium and the mouthfeel is smooth. 

Colour: Green Category: Comfortable Producers: Ernesto Menéndez Varietal: Bourbon Process: Anaerobic Natural Harvest: March 2025 Location: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range, Santa Ana  Elevation: 1720 meters above sea level Price transparency: The FOB price paid for this coffee was $4.75/Ib.

Ernesto Menéndez is a well-known name in the coffee industry and has won the coveted Cup of Excellence several times. We're honoured and proud to hold exclusivity on all the coffees he produces at Los Andes!

Nestled in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, Los Andes farm is about 5 hectares, which yields a bit more than we typically buy, but we find it well worth committing to all of the coffee to maintain this valuable partnership. Ernesto holds a lot of knowledge and is always very communicative about how he takes care of the farm, and how he processes his coffees. Walking the farm together with him is like opening a true treasure, he holds so much knowledge and skills from the agriculture, processing and to the cupping table.  

Los Andes has quite an interesting story. Almost 60-70 years ago, the previous owner of the farm planted SL28 trees on the land which had been taken home from a hunting trip in Kenya. As a result, the Bourbon varietal at Los Andes now grows right beside the SL28 trees, some of which are now almost 80 years-old. For comparison, most of our coffees come from plants that are only 3-20 years old. At Los Andes, everything is left to grow "wild" to create a more wild forest environment and the coffee is produced in harmony with the nature. This is also why Ernesto keeps the older plants around, instead of simply planting new ones. The plants age and grow into the natural forest environment that Ernesto is looking for and make the environment really special. 

Bourbon coffee was first produced in Reúnion, which was known as Île Bourbon before 1789. It was later taken by the French to mainland Africa and to Central America. The taste profile of this Bourbon is one that we like the most in El Salvador, its mature sweetness matches the slightly bigger mouthfeel that is typical for the country.

To learn more about Ernesto Menéndez and Los Andes click here. 

Innehåller kaffe, förvaras mörkt och svalt.

Los Andes showcases the distinctive character of anaerobic natural processing applied to Bourbon, a classic varietal known for balanced sweetness and complexity. Sourced from Ernesto Menéndez's farm in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range of Santa Ana, this lot reflects the volcanic terrain and processing choices that shape its profile. Drop Coffee emphasizes the interplay of dried stone fruit and chocolate—a combination typical of natural-processed coffees, which tend to amplify fruit-forward characteristics through extended skin contact during fermentation.

The anaerobic method intensifies fermentation aromatics and flavor development, contributing to the noted sweetness and smooth mouthfeel. Whether you're exploring how Bourbon's inherent sweetness emerges through different techniques or investigating the sensory dimensions of anaerobic processing, this coffee offers a concrete example of how elevation, varietal selection, and fermentation strategy converge.