Gerardo Caceres - Delagua Project

MEET THE PRODUCER | Delagua Coffee is becoming a regular household name here at the roastery; you’ve likely seen them alongside several Colombian producers on our labels over the years. Delagua is primarily responsible for processing green coffee from La Sierra Nevada, but today's release is their first iteration of a project happening outside of Colombia - in the Ilamatepec region of El Salvador.

In their own words, here's what Delagua has to say about their mission: 

“At Delagua Coffee, water has become our greatest treasure and its conservation, our purpose. As challenging as this statement is when it comes to producing coffee, we have called this our mission. Delagua produces coffees through a community–based model using the minimum amount of water in their processing, encouraging our team and the traditional coffee growers inhabiting the region to become the guardians of biodiversity.”

One of those such "guardians of biodiversity" is Gerardo Caceres, one of the first farmers in El Salvador to to join in on this remarkable project, 

TRUST THE PROCESS | The coffee cherries are hand-selected at peak ripeness and taken to the drying area, where they are first floated into a 200-liter water tank. After this, they are left to ferment in an anaerobic environment for 6-7 days, after which time they are set out to dry for 20-25 days at a controlled temperature (18-21 degrees Celsius) until optimal moisture content is achieved.

TAKE A SIP | There are two profile components at play here, which don't often find themselves in the same cup of coffee. First, this coffee is fresh, stone fruit-forward, with notes like red plum and cooked peaches. By contrast, it's also almost dessert-y in nature, reminding us of hazelnut spread and wafer cookies. The culmination of those two profiles is a delicious one - it's an easy drinker and a delightful sipping experience.

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Origin | Ilamatepec Region, El Salvador

Producer | Gerardo Caceres

Farm | Los Alpes

Process | Anaerobic natural

Variety |  Bourbon

Elevation | 1600 masl