Producer: Diego Baraona
Farm: Los Pirineos
Region: Usulután
Variety: Java
Process: Red Honey
Altitude: 1400 masl
Harvested: 2023
CUPPING NOTES: Floral, forest fruits, red grapes, honey, raspberry. Sweet, complex and very balanced.
Transparency.
What we paid:
-Coffee: 18.06€/Kg
-Shipping: 1.30€/Kg
-Packaging: 1.50€/bag
Quantity bought: 48 Kg
Found in the Usulután department of El Salvador, fifth-generation coffee producer Diego Baraona operates the Los Pirineos farm. 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 his father, Gilberto, and 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 capitalised exceptionally 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. As a result, 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.
While quality is undoubtedly vital at Los Pirineos, Diego also keeps anonoward environmental and social responsibility. All of the water used in the production and processing of coffee comes from collected rainwater. Bees are also held 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 ensure 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 provides quality growing conditions for the coffee and additional habitat space for local fauna.
