El Manzano

About: Founded in 1872, Finca El Manzano has remained under the stewardship of the López Díaz family for seven generations. In 2005, after completing his studies in the United States, Emilio López Díaz moved home to manage the family farm, constructing a processing mill that gave the team precise control over every stage of production. Emilio also introduced exotic varieties rarely seen in El Salvador, including Geisha and Pacamara, applying data and metrics to post-harvest decisions rather than relying on tradition alone. As proof of these efforts, Emilio's Geisha took both 1st and 2nd place in the 2018 Cup of Excellence competition, a feat never before achieved. Pacamara, a hybrid of Pacas and Maragogipe developed through the Salvadoran Institute of Coffee Research, is prized for its sizeable beans and distinctive flavour. Naturally processed and dried slowly on raised beds, this lot is bold and fruit-forward, with notes of cherry, blackcurrant, and milk chocolate.