Ignacio Gutierrez - El Salvador

Don Ignacio Gutierrez has been El Salvador’s Cup of Excellence Champion in 2011, 2013, and 2015. The family transitioned to coffee production in 2005 after a long history of growing wood trees and tomatoes. Their first two farms, Los Positos and La Roxanita, consisted of just 500 trees. Their land’s sandy loam soil and skilled farming practice lead them to great success in a short amount of time. Each year’s COE winnings were invested back into their farms, allowing them to continually improve harvests. Winning a single COE is an impressive achievement in it’s own right; to win three within five years is an exceptional feat. The lot that began the Gutierrez family’s legacy was the 2011 harvest of this microlot, Finca La Roxanita’s honey processed pacamara. The region of Chalatenango has built a solid reputation for amazing honey processed pacamaras and this farm is one that laid that foundation. 

Ignacio Gutierrez’s honey pacamara from Finca La Roxanita starts bright and fruity with notes of ripe blackberry and allspice. As it develops on the palate there are complex  tones of grilled pineapple, vanilla, and lime with a slight resinous nature that together reminds us of a bright California chardonnay aged on new oak. This coffee is dynamic and complex, but is in no way off-putting. It is the perfect coffee to showcase the mastery Ignacio applies to coffee production, allowing him to be one of the most consistent and  outstanding producers in coffee today.