La Reforma

This nanolot was cultivated from the exceptional Kenyan SL28 variety. Cherries were floated prior to a slow dry on raised beds for approx. 19 days, turned frequently and covered during the hours of peak heat and overnight for optimal fermentation control. Beans were then prepared and processed under the strict standards of El Borbollon, a mill owned and operated by Eduardo Alvarez. Coffees at El Borbollon are pulped without water and washed clean in fresh water after fermentation to remove all traces of mucilage.  

The Alvarez family combine more than a century of growing experience in the lush Santa Ana region, where the original family estate was divided into two smaller farms – Finca La Reforma and Finca Santa Maria. Rafael Alvarez Lalinde established the original farm in 1892 on the slopes of Santa Ana’s famed Apaneca Ilamatepec Mountain Range. Originally from Colombia, Rafael immigrated to El Salvador with the best seedlings from his homeland; a legacy that has carried his passion for coffee from one generation to the next. Rafael’s descendants own and manage La Reforma and Santa Maria, as well as the El Borbollon mill (established in 1985). An on-site mill is unique in El Salvador; most farms deliver their cherry to external operations for processing. Coffee grown by La Reforma and Santa Maria is handpicked by experienced staff, who collect cherry in traditional weave baskets from December to March. The coffee is then dispatched to El Borbollon for processing.

The Alvarez family invests in the local community and recently partnered with the El Salvador NGO, Libras De Amor, to improve nutrition for children in rural communities. The family also provides ongoing support to community schools and free healthcare clinics to their farm workers, as well as medical care for surrounding villages.