ROAST | LIGHT MEDIUM

ORIGIN | CHALATENANGO, EL SALVADOR

NOTES | CARA CARA ORANGE, RASPBERRY GANACHE, PINOT NOIR

Jorge Raul Rivera is the son of a coffee grower from the northwest corner of El Salvador. He's also the recipient of a master's degree in Agricultural Economics from Louisiana State University. When you put these two life experiences together, what you get - apparently - is a man of great ambition and enthusiasm who's made it his life's mission to elevate his father's farm, which once grew low-quality coffee and timber, into a thriving global business that competes (and wins!) on the world stage. 

So far, it would be hard to make the case that Jorge isn't doing exactly that. His famed Pacamara lots have fetched three overall Cup of Excellence wins - in 2014, 2017, and most recently in 2019. He also holds the record for fetching the highest price for coffee in El Salvador, at $95.75 per pound as of last year.

For our part, we had the distinct pleasure of meeting Jorge before Black & White ever opened its doors, and this is our third year purchasing coffee from his idyllic farm on the slopes of El Pital. Today's release is the fourth lot we've featured from Jorge this year, and it's the funkiest natural he sent us to date (don't worry - it's not that funky).

Processing: Before undergoing the traditional drying process for natural coffees, this lot underwent 23 hours of aerobic fermentation in a tile-lined tank. After this short fermentation, the coffee cherries were laid out in thin layers on raised drying beds until they achieved a moisture content below 20% - usually 2-4 weeks, depending on the weather. 

In the cup: As a variety, Pacamara is known for its propensity toward the savory, often possessing herbaceous or even onion-y flavor characteristics. This coffee is certainly none of those things. Instead, Jorge's Pacamara lot is lightly floral, perfectly tropical, and delightfully complex. We experienced fruity notes like cara cara orange and raspberry ganache (Does raspberry ganache count as a fruit? Asking for a friend...). The cup is vibrant and wine-y in character, reminding us of our favorite pinot noir. 

Producer | Jorge Raul Rivera

Farm | Finca Santa Rosa

Process | natural

Variety | Pacamara

Elevation | 1550 masl