Regular readers will know my love for El Salvador knows no bounds. I love the coffee, I love the place and I love the people.

Since being the lucky man who got his hands on the COE lot number 12 I’ve been emailing the farm owner Enrique. He has been so kind emailing photos of the farm and telling me his story of the farm.

It also turns out that I’ve met Enrique last year when in El Salvador. We meet in a hotel where we talked football (I know I’m so predictable). Its an amazing small coffee world. It just feels like this coffee was meant to be. And I know when you taste it you will so agree with me. I love good coffee but good coffee from good people is always that little sweeter.

Enriques story is below

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This past year has been very good for Los Amates. Attention to detail and our talented workers have made us a repeat Cup of Excellence winner. Los Amates´ coffee tradition, which goes back for more than a hundred years, since the time of the present owner´s grandfather, Gustavo Magaña, continues now stronger than ever.

Our award-winning Bourbon coffee is grown in the highest-altitude part of the farm and is processed immediately in our own wet mill. As always, workers know to pick only perfectly ripe cherries and to process them with the utmost care and attention. After depulping, the beans are put in tanks for approximately twelve hours to allow for complete washing. New this year is our first use of African beds, or drying tables, to ensure more air flow for better drying and more uniform quality of our finished coffee.

Los Amates’ tradition of community service continues as well. This past year saw the renovation of the Chapel, school and infirmary that we maintain for the use of our neighboring community. The long tradition of zero-interest loans, gifts and subsidized prices for staple-food agriculture and implements that we give to our surrounding community and workers goes on.

But not everything was so serious this past year. Our two big social events were the party thrown for the workers to celebrate last year’s Cup of Excellence win and the renovation of our Chapel/school complex, originally designed more than thirty years ago by Jose Fortin-Magana, Haydee’s husband. The second highlight of our social calendar was the wedding of the owner’s son, Enrique, and his bride, Rosario, who chose to hold this important event among the natural beauty of Los Amates’ Chapel, situated among hills, next to a small stream, in one of our nature-protected areas.