In February of 2012 Fratello Coffee Roasters was first introduced with Mauricio Salaverria, of Divisadero Café Farms, when touring El Salvador. They were impressed with what they saw at both of his farms: Finca VilllaGalicia and Finca Himalaya, both in the Concepcion de Ataco which is in the Ahuachapán region in Western El Salvador.
What impressed them the most was the care they saw in all steps of production. From his nursery, to his drying practices, to the health of his farm, and the care of their harvesting.
It wasn’t until this past visit in February 2013, though, that Fratello made the important decision to work with Mauricio and bring his coffee into Calgary, Canada.
We are thrilled to also say that this year, Mauricio won 2nd place in the El Salvador Cup of Excellence competition! It is no wonder he was a top winning coffee when you look at how they harvest only the most perfectly ripened cherries.
The lot we chose was also originally selected to be entered into the Cup of Excellence Competition; however Mauricio was anxious to begin working with Fratello Coffee as well and agreed that this could come to Calgary instead. This was our top choice out of 30 unique lots we cupped.
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping a cup of El Salvador Finca VillaGalicia, from Fratello Coffee Roasters in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Feel free to pull up a chair.
the basics:
region: Concepcion de Ataco, El Salvador
farm: Finca VillaGalicia
producer: Mauricio Salaverria
elevation: 1300 meters above sea level
cultivars: Bourbon
process: pulped natural, raised bed dried
certifications: standard
the coffee:
The aroma of this coffee is intensely confectious, with really massive scents of nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cake batter.
The first couple of sips greet my palate with a smooth, creamy coffee, rich in texture and flavor. Decadent notes of butterscotch, honey, and English toffee fold over sweet brown sugar and spicy cinnamon stick, while a heavy dose of roasted walnuts show up in the finish.
As it cools, something of a tart, bitter citrus acidity bubbles up from the bottom of the cup and streams its way straight to the back of the throat. I can’t quite nail down what I’m tasting, though—the juiciness of a blood orange, but the tartness of a tangerine or a grapefruit. Furthermore, there’s something kinda hot that I’m tasting; hot, but also sweet, creamy, and sugary—like a white Russian. There are also some low-intensity fruit flavors happening here: spiced cherry, strawberry, grape jam, apple.
Full body; creamy mouthfeel; citrus acidity; clean finish.
the bottom line:
The El Salvador Finca VillaGalicia, from Fratello Coffee Roasters, is certainly a treat of a coffee. This cup of coffee, really, should be served with an assortment of warning labels: nut allergen, high sugar content, maybe something to the effect of “drink responsibly,” because this coffee is so nutty, so sweet, and it has that unique alcoholic burn at the end. To be honest, it should be served as a dessert coffee because it is such a great complement to vanilla ice cream or coffee cake.
This is a terrific coffee that pleases the palate and fills the belly; one that I highly recommend trying out.
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Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.