*12 oz bag*

ORIGIN: El Salvador

REGION: Cerro Verde and Apaneca-Ilamatepec

ALTITUDE: 1200-1700 meters

CULTIVAR: Red Bourbon

PROCESS: Natural

ROAST: Light

BODY: Tea-like

FLAVOR: Blueberry Jam, Shortbread, Vanilla

During the harvest, the Red Bourbon cherries are carefully hand-picked at each farm and transported to the Pacas wet mill, Vivagua. At the mill, the cherries are sorted and evenly spread on patios to dry in the open sun to undergo a Natural processing method.

The cherries are initially moved 5 – 8 times each day to ensure an even drying. At night, the cherries are raked into piles and covered with jute bags, to be protected from any rain or dew. Once the moisture content reaches 12%, which usually takes 5 – 8 days, the dried cherries are placed in jute bags until being hulled, sorted, and prepared for export.

The farmers contributing cherry to the Ruby Blend grow their coffee under a diverse array of native shade trees. It is an environmentally friendly coffee, whilst also providing jobs for over 100 locals.

The farmers are looking to the future by planting more native trees to promote biodiversity, digging ‘fosas’ or small trenches that trap organic matter and rainwater into the soil, and by enforcing further soil erosion prevention projects. They are also actively replanting older areas of their farms with newer varietals to renovate and improve productivity.