Rounton Coffee Roasters: El Salvador, Finca Bosque Lya, Natural

Finca Bosque Lya is situated in the municipality of Santa Ana on the foothills of the Santa Ana Volcano in the Apaneca Mountain range of western El Salvador. The farm was established in 1932 when Gustavo Vides Valdes named his property in honour of his newly born daughter, Lya. The farm name Bosque Lya translates to – Lya’s forest.

This particular lot is a stunning naturally processed Red Bourbon, with ripe, redcurrant notes and a hint of rounded Brazil nuts.

This beautiful coffee has a huge amount of character in the cup, with great depth of flavour and floral tones. Finca Bosque Lya achieved world fame in coffee circles when it took first place in the 2004 Cup of Excellence.

This is a 96-hectare farm - 64 of which are under coffee, the balance being left as a natural rainforest. However, in many parts of the farm, it is difficult to recognise what is pure forest and what isn’t, since so many shade trees are used. There is an abundance of wildlife including birds such as hummingbirds, orioles and hawks and many migratory species. Mammals include wild cats, armadillos, deer and possum.

Notes from the team: Joe Melina at Finca Bosque Lya is a bit of a legend in the coffee scene, and we've been lucky enough to have been hosted by him when we visited in 2018. The quality of his coffee is rivalled only by the quality of his hospitality!