By its appearance alone, Pacamara is a rather distinct cultivar among even the most distinct cultivars in the realm of specialty arabica coffee. In fact, one could even venture to say it’s one of the most discernible by cup profile not only due to its spicy, herbaceous notes, but also for the intense, dynamic acidity it can present when it’s been roasted with intention and care. This native El Salvadoran variety came about by crossbreeding another distinctly El Salvadoran cultivar, Pacas, with Maragogipe, a coffee first discovered in Bahia, Brazil as the result of a natural mutation of Typica. Hence the name, Pacamara, and as the name implies it takes some of the best attributes from both of its parent plants. While the Pacas imparts a fresh red fruit flavor and delicate mouthfeel to its offspring, the genes passed down from Maragogipe present a spicy and complex acidity. Maragogipe trees produce what is perhaps the largest arabica coffee seed, it’s often colloquially referred to as “los Elefantes”, and indeed, Pacamara is second in size only to its parent coffee. When our team visited Finca El Manzano in late January, the Pacamara trees were healthy, robust, and at the time, only just beginning to ripen. When tasting the seeds directly out of the cherry, the mucilage presented tropical fruit and bell pepper flavors that were distinct among the dozen or so cultivars we tried that grow across the expansive acreage of El Manzano. We have sourced Pacamara at peak freshness from our farms for a number of years, and this year we’re beyond excited to offer it once more, this time as a fruit dried natural. Our roast profile for this coffee was honed with care to coax out the flavors our team found in the coffee cherry itself so that fans of this coffee could experience at least a fraction of what we tasted in the test garden at Finca El Manzano. Having been grown in the high and considerably steep elevations of the El Salvadoran rainforest in the rich volcanic soil of the Santa Ana volcano, this coffee stands to be among the very best Pacamara lots we’ve tried, and not least from Finca El Manzano. With the onset of summertime upon us, this coffee is sure to satisfy those looking for a tropical fruit profile with a robust and spicy undertone.

This offering has a quintessential pacamara flavor profile, with a zesty orange bell pepper note up front, a light almond butter sweetness and a robust cocoa powder finish.