Finca Matalapa is a classic estate coffee, long before there were mini-mills and micro-lots. It has a complete independent mill to service the farm, from the tree through wet-processing, patio drying, hulling, and preparation, to loading the coffee in jute bags and packing the shipping container.
The mill is filled with fantastic, classic coffee equipment painted in bold colors. And it’s the passion of the owner, Vickie Ann Dalton de Diaz, and the mechanical love of the archaic mill equipment that keeps the mill running and the coffee tasting so wonderful!
Finca Matalapa is in the Libertad area, not far from the capital of San Salvador, on a western-facing slop ranging from 1200 meters up to the ridge top at 1350 meters. It’s a 4th generation coffee estate totaling 120 hectares and was founded in the late 1800’s by Fidelia Lima, great grandmother of the Vickie.
She maintains 14 acres of virgin tropical forest and keeps her coffee plants shaded with over forty varieties of larger trees.
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping a cup of El Salvador Finca Matalapa, from Populace Coffee in Bay City, Michigan. Feel free to pull up a chair.
the basics:
origin: Jayaque, La Libertad, El Salvador
farm: Finca Matalapa
producer: Vickie Ann Dalton de Diaz
elevation: 1200 – 1350 meters above sea level
cultivars: Bourbon, Pacas
process: fully washed, raised bed dried
certifications: standard
the coffee:
The dry fragrance of the Finca Matalapa has a bit of orange, apricot, honey, and golden raisin. A smell of hazelnut emerges in the steam when adding hot water, and there are notes of praline and rhubarb pie in the crust.
Immediately post-brew, the cup tastes of salted caramel and almond with a subtle, but bitter, dark cocoa.
As the coffee cools, complexity builds up in the cup and there are just all sorts of flavors being thrown at my palate. Fruits, savories, and spices all present themselves at once. Silky Fuji apple, honeydew melon, pear, ginger, something of a tangerine zing that zigzags down the center of the palate, and a finish that’s reminiscent of cinnamon-coated roasted almonds.
Medium body; juicy mouthfeel; citrus acidity; clean finish.
the bottom line:
The El Salvador Finca Matalapa, from Populace Coffee, is one of those “classic” El Salvadoran coffees in terms of flavor and profile, but it also has an adventurous, complex side. It’s a really balanced coffee with such a a great clarity and sweet accents, but with so many incredible, unique flavors.
It’s sweet, it’s savory, and it’s spicy with dominant flavors of apple, ginger, and cocoa. Really fantastic Latin American breakfast coffee that is sure to please.
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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.