This is our first year purchasing coffee from Marvin Alvarado. This 100% Pacas lot deepens our exploration of this unique variety and mountain region. In the cup we find dark berries, green grape, and nectarine.
Pacas
El Viejo Lempira, Las Vegas, Santa Barbára
1,910 masl
May, 2024
Hand-picked at peak ripeness. Floated to further remove defects. De-pulped on the day of harvest. Dry-fermented for 22 hours. Washed five times with fresh water. Hand-sorted. Dried on raised beds for 16 days.
ABOUT MARVIN ALVARADO
Marvin Alvarado is a second-generation coffee producer who, in 2017, inherited a small but promising 0.7-hectare (~1.7 acres) farm with excellent elevation and a unique microclimate. We were introduced to Marvin’s coffee through our exporting partners at San Vicente, and we look forward to visiting his farm next season.
ABOUT PACAS
Pacas is a natural mutation of Bourbon from the Bourbon/Typica group mainly found in El Salvador and Honduras. Like other Bourbon mutants, Pacas has a single-gene mutation that causes the plant to grow smaller (dwarfism). Unlike the hybrid varieties, Pacas is very susceptible to disease, making it riskier to grow.
Pricing Details
FARM GATE
$11.35/KG
FOB
$13.20/KG
FOT
$14.66/KG
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.