El Salvador SHG-  Borbollon Highlands

Air-Roasted • Family Produced • Shade Grown

El Salvador SHG Familia Pacas is a traceable specialty coffee produced by the Pacas family, a fifth-generation coffee-growing family that cultivates, processes, and exports its own coffees. The beans come from several family-owned farms near Cerro Verde and Ilamatepec Volcano, where coffee has been cultivated for generations.

Shade-grown between 1,200–1,750 meters above sea level, this coffee combines the traditional Red Bourbon variety with Pacas — a natural Salvadoran mutation of Bourbon discovered on a Pacas family farm. High elevations, volcanic soils, and cool mountain temperatures allow the coffee cherries to mature slowly, developing balanced sweetness and a distinctive fruit character.

The cherries are handpicked at peak ripeness and carefully sorted to remove underripe, dry, or green fruit. They are then transported to the family’s Pacas mill in the Zapotitán Valley of La Libertad for meticulous processing.

At Beneficio Vivagua, the cherries are mechanically pulped, fermented for six hours, and thoroughly washed. The coffee is pre-dried on patios for three days before completing the drying process in mechanical dryers for approximately 30–35 hours. Once it reaches the desired moisture level, it rests in parchment before being dry-milled and sorted by size, density, and color. A final hand sorting provides an additional level of quality control.

The Pacas family also collects the nutrient-rich coffee pulp produced during milling and transports it back to the farms, where it is used as a natural fertilizer for the coffee trees. This sustainable practice reduces waste, supports healthier soils, and contributes to the long-term quality of the family’s coffee.

Air-roasted in small batches at Passport Coffee