We are thrilled to be able to offer you the Winner of the 2008 El Salvador Cup of Excellence, San Isidro Lot 19.
San Isidro is operated by Ana Sylvia Schonenberg, a woman dedicated to producing high quality coffee. Her objective is to seize the opportunity of her farm’s conditions to obtain a competitive product that catches the attention and appreciation from connoisseurs around the world. Ana Sylvia inherited San Isidro farm from her father Don Juan Federico Schonenberg Silva, a well known coffee grower and miller around the Tecapa-Chinameca Mountain Range area. San Isidro is located at over 1,300 meters above sea level at Cantón San Juan, which is very near to the colorful town of Alegría, Usulután.
This farm has been cultivated with Bourbon variety since its beginnings back in 1960. The lot selected to participate in this event was chosen from Plot #2, because it’s 100% bourbon. Ana Sylvia waited for the optimum ripeness moment and guided the pickers to select the best beans, and even then, at the end of the working day they sorted the coffee to take out the over-ripe, dried, green and defective ones. To get the pickers motivated to do this labor, they were paid over the industry standards. All coffee picked was delivered that same day to the mill.
Ana Sylvia thinks the reason why San Isidro was given this award was the hard and passionate work of all the people involved in the picking and processing of the coffee, this is why she hopes to be able to improve the quality of life for these people. She is constantly working on improvements to the water supply, electricity and living conditions for the people that live on the farm. This year she is also expects to be certified by The Rain Forest Alliance (an organization that awards it's seal to farms certified to practice sustainable agricultural practices and participate in meaningful community improvement and involvement).
Lot #19 exemplifies the best in traditional El Salvador Coffee. It has a somewhat subdued acidity. It presents a fine, gentle, fragrant and seductive cup according to coffee expert Ken Davids. On the whole, it is a mild, balanced coffee, pleasant in all respects. It is not an "in your face" coffee, and if you like a milder cup, you will really enjoy Lot #19. As we cupped it, we both independently had visions of a lazy tropical morning on a large veranda--it's that kind of coffee.
Justin Johnson
Roaster and Green Coffee Buyer
World Cup Roasters
