Los Pirineos Pacamara Natural

Tasting Notes: Juicy-Punchy, Fruit-bomb, Black Cherry, Dark Chocolate, Orange, Roasted Hazelnut

Lot information:

Pacamara is a Bourbon-Typica type cultivar which originated from a cross between Pacas and Maragogype. It is grown predominantly throughout Central America where it frequently dominates Cup of Excellence competitions in El Salvador and Guatemala for its high cup quality. Researchers have not classified Pacamara as a variety because it is not homogeneous; plants are not stable from one generation to the next. 

Finca Los Pirineos has been producing Pacamara for many years and has one of the best selections planted there. They have been able to place in the top 10 of Cup of Excellence El Salvador numerous times with this special cultivar.

This lot is exclusively selected Pacamara cultivar, natural processed. When cherries are picked and selected they go straight to raised drying beds where they are attentively dried for 35-40 days. This prolonged drying period produces the intense "fruity" aromas and flavors so prevalent in the cup. 

Producer Facts:

Found in the Usulután department of El Salvador, Los Pirineos farm is operated by fifth-generation coffee producer Diego Baraona. Diego took the helm at the farm in 2020 following his father’s passing and now works to carry on the tradition and legacy of not only his father Gilberto, but the more than 130 years of experience, history, and knowledge that his family has in coffee cultivation.

The farm sits 1400 meters above sea level on the slopes of a stand-alone volcano. This unique positioning provides a microclimate unlike any other with sun-filled days and cool breezes, creating an environment ideal for coffee production, processing, and drying. This climate is capitalized on especially well in the drying area of the farm where raised drying beds are positioned between two peaks, creating a wind tunnel through which a breeze constantly flows. The beds are exposed to the sun for twelve hours per day while the temperature is regulated by the persistent wind, creating an ideal environment for producing Honey and Natural coffees.

Across Los Pirineos there are around 20 coffee varieties in production—including Rume Sudan, SL-28, Batian, and Gesha—though Pacamara and Bourbon are the staple coffees making up approximately 80% of the farm’s volume. Along with the 20 varieties that are in production on the farm, Los Pirineos also keeps its own coffee variety garden and nursery containing approximately 70 different varieties of coffees. This work with varieties was a passion for Diego’s father Gilberto, and is a passion that Diego intends to carry on into the future of the farm by continuing to grow and experiment.

While quality is certainly important at Los Pirineos, Diego keeps an eye toward environmental and social responsibility as well. All of the water used in production and processing of the coffee comes from collected rainwater. Bees are also kept here, both to produce honey and to contribute to the local ecosystem in a variety of ways. Diego employs around 60 people on the farm, and works to make sure that the people who harvest the coffee are also working on other projects on the farm year-round for consistent and sustainable work. All of the coffee at Los Pirineos is shade grown under trees planted by Diego’s father Gilberto, which provide not only quality growing conditions for the coffee, but additional habitat space for local fauna.

Our relationship with Finca Los Pirineos started long before the idea of Miami.Coffee. Since 2015 we have worked with coffee from this farm, being the first to import their coffee directly to Argentina. Before that, our founder Maria Esther and Gilberto Barahona, a specialty coffee pioneer in El Salvador, were friends. 

We are thrilled to continue to work with Diego to bring Los Pirineos’ coffee to Miami!