El Salvador — Las Marías SL28

This coffee comes to us through Britt McCoy and the team at Forest Flame Coffee, based in Arlington, Texas. We were glad to work directly with them again on a coffee from a farmer we have grown to trust and admire.

Carlos Escobar owns and operates two farms in the Quezaltepec–El Bálsamo region of El Salvador: Finca Milán and Finca Las Marías. While Milán is known for clean, balanced profiles built on classic processing, Las Marías has become the farm where Carlos pushes into more experimental lots and varietals, testing new boundaries while holding onto the structure and sweetness that define his coffees.

This lot is a clear example of that spirit. Carlos planted SL28 on Las Marías, a Kenyan variety prized worldwide for its structure and character, and processed this lot as a natural to let the fruit develop fully. Cherries are hand-picked, dried, and milled under Carlos's direct oversight, with the same attention to clarity, consistency, and traceability that defines everything coming off his farms.

The cup delivers on that promise. Red grape opens with a bold, juicy sweetness reminiscent of ripe table grapes, setting the tone from the first sip. Caramel flan softens the mid-palate with a smooth, custardy richness that rounds out the fruit. Strawberry jam carries through to the finish, thick and sweet, lingering long after the cup is done.

We are grateful to Carlos and his team for the trust it takes to hand over a lot like this, and to Britt and the Forest Flame team for continuing to make these direct relationships possible.

Profile

• Roast: Light

• Region: Quezaltepec–El Bálsamo, El Salvador

• Farm: Finca Las Marías

• Process: Natural

• Elevation: 1,200–1,500m

• Variety: SL28

• Cup: Red Grape, Caramel Flan, Strawberry Jam