Flavour & aroma notes of chocolate, cocoa butter, cacao nibs, caramel & vanilla...
with the addition blueberry as the coffee cools.
 
Country: Colombia
Region: Huila
Process: Washed, Dry Ferment
Varietal: Pacamara
Altitude: 1750-1800 metres above sea level
 
Coffee grower Alirio Galindez (see photo 3) is a Saladoblanco community pioneer, in that he has chosen to grow the Pacamara varietal more commonly associated with El Salvador. Pacamara is truly exquisite with its exceptional quality and flavour potential when grown at high altitudes; and Saladoblanco in the Huila region of Colombia provides just that, at a lofty 1750-1800 metres above sea level.
 
Pacamaras have intense and complex aromas with flavour notes that range from sweet chocolate and buttersotch to stone fruits and berries. In 2013, the Huila region received Denomination of Origin status, which is the same status awarded to Roquefort cheese, Champagne & numerous other foods and beverages with unique, location-specific characteristics.
 
The Pacamara is a small to medium sized tree that makes for easier harvesting on steep terrain. Therefore it’s perfect for the Huila region which is framed by the Central and Eastern ranges of the Andes mountains.
The origins of the exotic Pacamara can be traced back to 1958, when the Institute of Coffee Studies in El Salvador crossed the Pacas and Maragogype varietials to produce Pacamara.
Pacas trees are short with compact foliage which help to endure tough climatic conditions, such as strong winds, intense sunlight and scarcity of water. It’s strong in its resistance to disease, adaptable to a range of growing conditions and provides high production yields.
Maragogipe trees grow very tall and produce unusually large coffee seeds, and while it doesn’t produce high yields, it's flavour qualities are remarkable.
The idea behind the creation of the Pacamara hybrid was to obtain the best of the two varietals; and it was named Pacamara in reference to the first four letters of each parent varietal.