Origin: La Palma-Citalá, Chalatenango, El Salvador Producers: Small-scale producers Process: Honey Tasting Notes: Golden apple, baker's chocolate, toffee, cinnamon Varieties: Bourbon & Pacas Altitude: 1,300-1,700 MASL
Every year, the coffees from the Chalatenango region of El Salvador get better and better, and so it goes without saying that we had to bring back Río de Estrellas for another year. This year we’re focusing on bringing on a honey-processed version, which offers a fun twist on all the characteristics of the washed-processed version. Last year, we also offered Río as a single-origin espresso option, a testament to its flexibility in all kinds of brew methods. It’s safe to say that we’re all kind of in love with this coffee.
We called it Río de Estrellas as a nod to the meaning of Citalá in the Mayan-Ch’orti’ language its name means “the river of the stars” and to reference the beauty of the Montecristo Trifinio massif, a small cluster of mountains and a beautiful biosphere rich with diverse flora and fauna. Montecristo Trifinio shares borders with Guatemala and Honduras, where its protection is a joint initiative of the three countries.
The coffee itself comes from two cities within this region, Citalá and La Palma. Our importing partners at Caravela Coffee has been developing relationships with producers in this area since 2012, eventually opening up a cupping lab in La Palma in 2015. And as ever, the proof is in the cup.
