El Salvador Finca Lorena Natural

69 kg GrainPro packaging

🏞️ Region and terroir – Ahuachapán

Finca Lorena is located in the western part of El Salvador, in the department of Ahuachapán, on the lower slopes of the Santa Ana volcano. The farm lies in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, one of El Salvador’s traditional and important coffee-growing regions.

This part of the country is characterized by volcanic soils, mountainous terrain, and a tropical climate. The combination of volcanic subsoil, ample rainfall, and high-altitude conditions creates an environment well suited to growing high-quality Arabica coffee.

The coffee plants on the farm grow at elevations of approximately 1,150 to 1,250 meters. The average annual temperature is around 24 °C, and annual rainfall is approximately 2,000 mm.

The farm covers 20 hectares, and the coffee plants are grown under the shade of native forest. This natural shade helps regulate the microclimate, limits direct sunlight, and supports biodiversity.

The volcanic terroir, warm climate, and careful cultivation together create the conditions for a coffee with pronounced sweetness, fruity character, and a pleasant structure.

🌋 Apaneca-Ilamatepec – El Salvador’s coffee landscape

The Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range lies in western El Salvador and is one of the country’s best-known coffee-growing regions. Volcanic activity shaped the landscape, leaving behind fertile soils and rugged mountain terrain.

Coffee plants are grown here on volcanic slopes and around mountain forests. Local farms often combine coffee production with the protection of native vegetation and the preservation of shaded growing areas.

El Salvador has a long history of Arabica cultivation, and coffee is an important part of both its agriculture and cultural heritage. Many farms are family-run, and the quality of their production is built on growers’ experience, hand-picking, and careful processing.

Finca Lorena exemplifies this type of production: a family farm where traditional coffee cultivation is combined with a focus on sustainability and the quality of the finished beans.

👨🌾 Finca Lorena and producer Fernando Alfaro

Finca Lorena is owned by producer Fernando Alfaro. Across 20 hectares, he grows several Arabica varieties, including Pacamara, Typica, Bourbon, and Catimor.

For this specific natural lot, the product sheet lists Pacamara and Bourbon as dedicated plantings contributing to this production. However, the technical specifications for the exported lot list Bourbon as the variety.

The farm is characterized by its emphasis on ecological farming. The producer limits the use of chemical inputs and uses composted by-products from coffee processing to enrich the soil.

Rainwater harvesting is also part of the farm’s practices, supporting the responsible use of water resources.

Growing coffee beneath native forest cover helps protect the local ecosystem and supports natural biodiversity.

The aim of these practices is long-term sustainable farming, healthy soil, and the preservation of conditions for high-quality coffee production.

🌱 Bourbon variety

Bourbon is one of the traditional Arabica varieties and is known for its sweet, balanced, and complex flavor profile.

Compared with modern, high-yielding varieties, Bourbon is valued above all for its flavor potential. When grown under suitable conditions and carefully processed, it can offer pronounced sweetness, a pleasant structure, and clean fruity notes.

At Finca Lorena, Bourbon is grown in volcanic soil beneath natural forest shade. Combined with hand-picking and dry processing, this can bring out more pronounced fruitiness and sweetness in the cup.

This lot displays a particularly fruity red-berry character, complemented by caramel sweetness.

⚙️ Natural – dry processing

Finca Lorena Natural is processed using the natural method, in which the coffee cherries are dried whole, including the skin and pulp.

Unlike the washed process, this method does not remove the pulp immediately after harvest. The coffee bean remains inside the whole cherry for a significant part of the drying period, during which natural fermentation processes take place.

This method requires careful selection of ripe fruit and close monitoring of the drying process.

1. Selective hand-picking

Quality begins with hand-picking coffee cherries at the point of optimal ripeness.

Ripe cherries with well-developed sweetness and aromatic potential are selected on the farm. Careful selection limits the number of unripe or damaged fruits that could negatively affect the final flavor.

2. Drying whole cherries

After harvesting, whole coffee cherries are spread out on drying patios.

At Finca Lorena, the cherries are sun-dried for approximately 15–20 days. During this period, water gradually evaporates from the cherries while the beans inside slowly dry.

The pulp and skin remain in contact with the beans, allowing aromatic compounds to develop naturally and contributing to greater sweetness and fruitiness.

During drying, it is important to turn the cherries regularly and monitor their moisture content to ensure even drying and reduce the risk of unwanted fermentation.

3. Resting in parchment

Once drying is complete, the coffee is hulled and prepared for the next processing stage.

According to the product sheet, it is then left to rest in its parchment layer until export. This step helps stabilize the beans’ moisture content and protect their quality during storage.

4. Sorting and preparation for export

Before export, the coffee is sorted and selected at a dry mill.

Defective beans and unwanted material are removed to ensure consistent quality in the exported lot.

The result is a natural coffee that combines the character of the Bourbon variety with the fruity complexity and sweetness developed while drying whole cherries.

Flavor profile: Sour cherry, red apple, chocolate, caramel

Country of origin: El Salvador

Region: Ahuachapán, Apaneca-Ilamatepec

Farm: Finca Lorena

Farmer: Fernando Alfaro

Altitude: 1150-1250 m.a.s.l.

Variety: Bourbon

Processing: Natural

Cupping Score: 86

Crop: Mitaca Crop 2025/2026