Our videocast: In My Mug
Episodes
Sunday Nov 02, 2014
Sunday Nov 02, 2014
Back in 1870, Fabio Morán and Etifanio Silva decided to conquer this hostile territory, sowing coffee trees in one of the highest summits of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. They named the 28 hectares of land Siberia, for its chaotic weather conditions, along with its difficult accessibility: very apt really. One century later, Rafael Silva inherited the property. It is located at 1,450 meters above sea level.
It is only shade-grown coffee, of which we have two varieties; 75% Bourbon, and 25% Pacamara (this is the 100% bourbon lot).
The name Rafael Silva might be a familiar one to lovers of El Salvador coffee. Rafael and Carmen being the owners of one of my favourite coffees: La Fany. I visited both La Fany and Siberia farm with them back in 2007, and I stocked this coffee and loved it. But it fell off our radar a little, El Salvador is somewhere we have worked very hard, and have some amazing friends and coffees, but somehow Siberia got lost.
Fast forward to 2012 and the Cup of Excellence, This sample hit our table and we were wowed, really wowed. So much so we bought it at a crazy price, and this coffee retailed at £12 a bag. You snapped it up. We raved about it and thought it only right to follow up. In fact Siberia has been highly decorated and has been among the Cup of Excellence winners in the years 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2012.
So on my visit to El Salvador Rafael and Carmen very kindly gave me a day of their time and took me to see their lovely new mill, and cup some coffees and talk about how we could make sure we had Siberia this year and going forwards.
Siberia farm is located in the Cerro El Aguila canton, between Santa Ana and Chalchuapa, in the region of Santa Ana and the Apaneca- Ilamatepec Mountain Range. This estate is exactly at the other side of the mountain from the La Fany estate, which we love so much.
In the cup expect a milk chocolate body with a walnut edge to it, with a clean sweet aftertaste and delicate watermelon acidity that just goes on and on.
- Farm: La Siberia
- Farmer: Rafael and Carmen Silva Hoff
- City: Chalchuapa
- Region: Santa Ana
- Country: El Salvador
- Farm Size: 27 Hectares
- Coffee growing area: 27 Hectares
- Annual Production: 35,000 kg
- Workers: 120 during the peak harvest
- Average Temperature: 18 degrees centigrade
- Average Annual Rainfall: 2,500mm
- Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l.
- Processing: Washed
- Variety: Bourbon