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Las Nubes

El Salvador - Apaneca - Las Nubes - Ernesto L - Bourbon - Washed

CROP 2025/2026 See coffee details

SCA score83.75

Aromatic notes

citrus fruitdried fruitmilk chocolatebrown sugarvegetal

In stock, ready to order (30kg)

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History and traceability

The story

Produced by Ernesto Lima Mena at Finca Las Nubes, this washed Bourbon is grown in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec region, on the border of the Sonsonate and Santa Ana departments. The farm is located on the slopes of the Santa Ana volcano, between 1,625 and 1,685 meters above sea level, in one of El Salvador's most renowned coffee-growing regions.

For over twenty years, Ernesto has been developing his operation with an agronomic vision rooted in soil health. At Las Nubes, organic matter management, shading, and the preservation of biodiversity play a central role in the farm's operations. This approach is part of a long-term commitment, with production certified organic and Rainforest Alliance.

Soil of Excellence 2026

In 2026, Finca Las Nubes ranked in the Top 10 of the Soil of Excellence competition organized by Belco in El Salvador. This initiative evaluates soil quality through several complementary criteria: physico-chemical analyses, microbiome study, agronomic diagnosis, and sensory evaluation of the coffees produced on the plots.

This recognition highlights the work carried out by Ernesto Lima Mena on the fertility and biological functioning of his soils. It also underscores the link between the agronomic practices implemented on the farm and the quality of the coffees produced there.

Top 10 Soil of Excellence 2026, this Bourbon is sourced from Finca Las Nubes, where Ernesto Lima Mena has been developing for over twenty years an approach focused on soil fertility and soil life.

For Ernesto Lima Mena, the quality of a coffee does not begin at harvest, nor even on the coffee tree. It is born in the soil.

A descendant of the Lima family, whose history has been closely linked to Salvadoran coffee cultivation for several generations, Ernesto grew up with the conviction that a Farm must be thought of as a living ecosystem. Trained from a young age by his parents, he developed an approach where soil health, environmental balance, and cup quality are intimately connected.

For over twenty years, he has managed Finca Las Nubes in the Sonsonate region. In a context marked by successive crises experienced by Salvadoran coffee farming, he chose to maintain a long-term vision. Rather than seeking immediate results, Ernesto dedicated his efforts to restoring the Fertility of his plots, strengthening natural shading, and promoting the biological life of the soils.

His approach is based on a simple idea: a living soil produces more resilient plants, more balanced cherries, and, ultimately, better coffees. This philosophy guides all his agronomic decisions, from organic matter management to the preservation of Biodiversity within the Farm.

This approach was recognized during the Soil of Excellence 2026 competition organized by Belco, where Finca Las Nubes ranked among the ten best soils evaluated in El Salvador. A distinction that highlights the coherence between the practices implemented on the ground and the quality of the coffees produced.

Today, Ernesto continues the development of Las Nubes with the same high standards: building quality over time, by considering the soil as the first link in the coffee value chain.

A classic El Salvador Bourbon grown at 1,625 masl in soils recovered through over two decades of regenerative work — the terroir is felt directly in the cleanliness and complexity of the cup. Ranked Top 10 in Belco's Soil of Excellence 2026 competition, the quality of the soil and the quality of the cup tell the same story. Full Product Traceability and EUDR compliance make it an ideal choice for roasters committed to radical transparency.

What we loved was the cleanliness and balance — a cup with no noise, where every note has its place. What surprised us was the complexity for a washed Bourbon: floral, with notes of black tea, orange blossom, citrus fruit, and a long, sweet finish of brown sugar and panela.

Unmissable because it is the El Salvador Bourbon profile in its most honest expression — built from the ground up, with decades of patience behind it. Tasting notes: berries, red fruit, grapefruit, black tea, maple honey, orange blossom, brown sugar.