About the El Carmen Estate: Located at 1,300m above sea level in El Salvador’s Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, one of Central America’s prime specialty coffee producing areas. The estate has been farmed by the Alfaro family for over a century.
El Carmen lies in the heart of El Salvador’s main ‘protected highway’ of forest, a part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor System that stretches all the way from Mexico down to Panama.

In El Salvador, where more than 80% of the country’s coffee is produced under shade, this eco-system is based mainly in the coffee forest. For this reason, coffee farms such as El Carmen play a vital role as a sanctuary for hundreds of the migratory and native bird species found in this part of the world.
The Estate was founded in the middle of the 19th century when Antonio José Alfaro acquired a plot of land near the village of Ataco – meaning ‘Site of Elevated Springs’ in the indigenous Nahuatl language – where he started to produce coffee. His son, Agustin Alfaro, founder of the Salvadoran National Coffee Company, followed in his father’s footsteps and established El Carmen as one of El Salvador’s leading exporters. His efforts were continued by Antonio Alfaro, head of the third generation of this coffee family and are carried through today by Fernando Alfaro, the fourth generation of his family to farm coffee.

El Carmen is an extremely well-run specialty Estate and is managed with scrupulous attention detail, with great emphasis placed on maintaining the identity of each lot from the moment its coffee cherries are harvested until the point when the green beans are ready for export. The estate’s coffee is produced under approximately 60% shade cover, which is required for the coffee to ripen evenly. Prior to the rainy season, shade trees are then pruned to about 40% shade to allow the access of light necessary for new foliage growth.

Orange Bourbon Varietal: El Carmen cultivates a number of Orange Bourbon trees, a rare natural mutation of the famous Red Bourbon. Instead of producing red cherries, this unique variety develops vibrant orange-coloured cherries when ripe, sometimes referred to as “pink” Bourbon. Unlike many modern coffee varieties, Orange Bourbon is not a man-made hybrid but a naturally occurring mutation. It is prized for its distinct flavour profile, offering bright citrus acidity and pronounced sweetness. In the cup, you can expect flavours ranging from orange, red berries, and citrus to tropical fruit, balanced by notes of smooth caramel and delicate florals such as jasmine. Orange Bourbon is often processed using anaerobic, natural, or honey methods, which help highlight its natural sweetness and complexity. Because the trees typically produce smaller harvests than Red Bourbon, this variety remains rare and highly sought after. It thrives in high altitude regions, with most production found in Colombia and El Salvador. During harvest, the cherries are carefully hand-picked at peak ripeness and delivered to the mill located on the farm to begin processing.

Anaerobic Natural Process: Once harvested, the ripe cherries are carefully sorted for quality before being placed into air-tight fermentation tanks with water and a cocktail of naturally occurring mountain microorganisms, fungi, and bacteria. The cherries ferment without oxygen for around 192 hours, with the tanks sealed throughout the process. This anaerobic fermentation slows down the breakdown of sugars and helps control the environment, preventing unwanted mould growth while encouraging complex flavour development. After fermentation, the cherries are spread evenly across raised drying beds and left to dry in the open sun for 25–30 days. During this time they are regularly raked to ensure even drying and to prevent mould. Once fully dried, the coffee is hulled and prepared for export. How it differs from a standard natural process. In a traditional natural process, coffee cherries are dried in open air immediately after harvesting. Anaerobic natural processing, however, begins with a controlled, oxygen-free fermentation stage, which changes how sugars and acids interact inside the fruit. This method often produces full-bodied, intensely sweet coffees with pronounced notes of dried berries, tropical fruit, and fermented fruit. The term anaerobic comes from Greek roots meaning “without oxygen,” while aerobic means “with oxygen.” In coffee processing, aerobic methods expose the coffee to oxygen during fermentation, whereas anaerobic methods take place in sealed environments without it. Coffees processed in this way often develop bold and unusual flavour profiles. They’re not always to everyone’s taste, but for those who enjoy something different, they can be funky, exciting, and well worth trying.

Final thoughts: This is a truly standout coffee that brings both character and excitement to the cup. Its vibrant fruit notes and layered sweetness make it a joy to explore, especially for those who enjoy more adventurous flavour profiles. If you’re feeling experimental, it’s also fantastic as an espresso. I tried it this way earlier in the week and I must say it was bold, punchy, and wonderfully expressive, delivering a cup that was both surprising and incredibly enjoyable.