PHILOCOFFEA 285 EL SALVADOR Santa Rosa Pacamara Washed

Santa Rosa is one of El Salvador's top coffee estates, renowned for its exceptionally high-quality coffee. It has won numerous awards in the Cup of Excellence, taking first place three times in 2014, 2017, and 2019, earning international acclaim.

This coffee plantation is located in northwestern El Salvador, near La Palma and close to the border with Honduras, nestled on the slopes of El Pital, the country's highest peak.

Coffee cultivation in the area began in 1979 when Jorge Raul Rivera resolutely started farming during the El Salvadoran Civil War. Amidst the conflict, many farmlands were sold at low prices, allowing Raul to purchase several plots. After the war, as the country gradually stabilized, he purchased the land that later became the Santa Rosa Estate. At the time, the government implemented a subsidy program to assist in post-war reconstruction. Raul initially focused on planting pine trees for timber, but since pine trees take about ten years to mature, he used the vacant land to plant the native Salvadoran variety—Pacamara coffee. This marked the beginning of Santa Rosa coffee production. The land remained untouched during the war, proving to be an ideal environment for Pacamara cultivation. Currently, the estate primarily grows Pacamara, with a small number of experimental new varieties also cultivated.

Raul is also a leader of the Chalatenango Regional Producers Association, providing processing techniques and agricultural guidance to nearby farmers and making significant contributions to the local community. He is also a licensed Q Grader coffee quality assessor, fluent in English due to his studies in the United States, and very active not only in the domestic but also in the international coffee industry.