About

Finca San Luis is owned and operated by El Salvador native Ernesto Mathies, a fourth generation coffee producer.

The farm is located between 1,250and 1,400 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l) in "Apaneca Lamatepec Cordillera", a rich volcanic mountain range; and produces some of El Salvador’s finest shade grown coffee trees. Average rain 2,000 mm a year.

 

 

Nestled between the fertile terrains just above Santa Ana’s Coatepeque lake, the farms long standing commitment to excellence is evident at first sip (cupp). Family owned and operated for over a century, Finca San Luis’ ethos lies in the families motto “La unión hace la fuerza” (Union make force)... To Ernesto this has translated into a holistic approach where the workers well-being, eco-friendly production, and quality are all held to the highest of standards.

For most varieties of coffee you get a good, yet not ideal, knowledge of the ripeness of the cherry and time to harvest, just by looking at it and determining the perfect red. A ripe coffee fruit is usually due between eight and nine months after the plant has flowered. At the farm we also produce Pink and Yellow Bourbon. It is very difficult to determine maturity by sight with these two varieties. For us, at Finca San Luis, the optimal thermometer that tells us our cherries are ready to harvest is when the coffee fruit gives us 5 drops (5 gotas) of honey.

For five generations this has been the most accurate way of knowing it is time to start harvesting our crop.

And by the way, we do have and use Brix Refractometer’s at the farm.