Chocolatey sweetness, ripe stone fruit, and a subtle wine-like character—that’s what this limited-edition Christmas blend from El Salvador by the Norwegian roaster Tim Wendelboe is all about. In the cup, notes of chocolate, cocoa beans, and ripe stone fruit come together to create a sweet, subtly fruity, and pleasantly full-bodied flavor profile. The chocolate gives the coffee a rounder base, while the ripe fruit adds a slightly fermented, wine-like note. Thanks to its smooth texture, richer body, and long, sweet aftertaste, the coffee has a pleasantly warming effect. This holiday edition is thus an interesting alternative to classic Christmas coffees, emphasizing natural sweetness and elegance.
The coffee comes from the Los Pirineos farm in El Salvador, which is situated atop the Tecapa volcano in the Chinameca area of the Usulután region. Behind this lot is Diego Baraona, who continues the work of his father, Gilbert, a successful producer with numerous top-ten placements in the Cup of Excellence competition. Today, more than 80 different coffee varieties grow on the farm. For this limited edition, Pacamara was selected—a hybrid of the Pacas and Maragogipe varieties—which is prized for its intriguing flavor potential. The coffee is from the February 2026 harvest.
The beans were processed using the honey method. Ripe coffee cherries are first hand-picked and sorted, then their skin and part of the pulp are removed. The beans, with the remaining sweet layer, are then slowly dried on raised beds, mostly under shade nets. During drying, they are turned regularly to ensure an even drying process and prevent uncontrolled fermentation. It is precisely the gentle fermentation of the remaining pulp that contributes to the notes of ripe fruit, while careful drying helps preserve the coffee’s clarity and smooth texture.
- Farm: Los Pirineos
- Producer: Diego Baraona
- Elevation: 1,100–1,400 m above sea level
- Harvest: February 2026