Designed by women. crafted with intention.
El Salvador Honey by Doña María Cristina Llach
El Salvador Honey by Doña María Cristina Llach
WHOLE BEAN COFFEE
Tastes Like: Toffee, Cherry jam, Grapefruit zest, Macadamia nut
I've been working with Cristina and Diego's family farm for two years now and if you were around last year, you'll know that their washed pacamara coffee was an absolute hit. So this year, when I heard they had the pacamara in a honey processed version as well, and that it was a competition-worthy coffee, I knew I had to have it.
What is a honey processed coffee vs. a washed coffee? The difference is all in the way the coffee cherry is treated post-harvest. When a coffee is "washed", simply it means that once harvested, the coffee cherry fruit, pulp and mucilage is washed off the bean before the bean is dried. If a coffee is honeyed, it means that the outer skin of the cherry fruit has been stripped from the bean but the mucilage is left on while the coffee bean is dried. Later, the mucilage will be stripped, but only after it has dried on the bean and imparted deeper jammy-fruit flavours.
This single origin pacamara comes from La Haciendita, a high-altitude, shade-grown farm nestled in the Tecapa-Chinameca mountain range of El Salvador. Here, Cristina Schonenberg Llach and her mother Doña María Cristina Llach continue a 140-year-old family tradition of growing exceptional coffee, combining heritage with modern sustainability practices to create a cup that’s as rooted as it is refined. It's our second year working with Doña María, her daughter Cristina, and Cristina's husband Diego.
Needless to say, this coffee is fancy! It's a limited release micro-lot. So get it while you can because when it's gone, it won't be back until next year!
Read more about this honey pacamara below.
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Learn more about this coffee:
Coffee Specs
| Tastes Like | Toffee, Cherry jam, Grapefruit zest, Macadamia |
| Origin | El Salvador |
| Region |
Cerro El Tigre, Usulután |
| Farm | La Haciendita |
| Process | Honey |
| Varietal(s) | Pacamara |
| Altitude | 1,300-1,650 MASL (metres above sea level) |
| Brew Method | Filter + Espresso |
| Roast Profile | Medium Roast |
| Import Partner | Direct trade via Cristina & Diego (Specialty Beans Inc.) in Richmond, BC. |
About the Producer: Doña María Cristina Llach
Doña María Cristina Llach is the matriarch behind La Haciendita, and the force that kept the family’s coffee legacy alive through civil war, political unrest, and a shifting industry. Her journey hasn’t been easy, but her determination and belief in the power of quality and craft have earned her (and her coffee) international recognition.
Cristina's family has been growing coffee since the 1860s, beginning with her great-great-grandfather Francisco Las Plazas, who established the family's first farm in Usulután, El Salvador. Over the generations, the Llach family has been instrumental in shaping coffee farming in Central America, from inventing the mucilage remover to building the region’s first automated coffee mill.
But it’s Doña María Cristina who brought the legacy into its next chapter. Since 1984, she has worked tirelessly to elevate their beans, despite the odds stacked against her. Today, her daughter Cristina and son-in-law Diego carry the torch forward from Richmond, BC, bringing the family’s farm-to-cup experience directly to Canada.
We are proud to feature this coffee not only for its exceptional taste but because it carries the spirit of generations of women who’ve shaped coffee with grace, grit, and devotion.
Sourcing in El Salvador
Through our partnership with Llach Café and Specialty Beans, we are proud to bring this farm-traceable coffee to Canada via a direct-trade relationship. This is a true farm to cup experience rooted in history, sustainability, and female excellence.
La Haciendita sits high atop Cerro El Tigre, a rich, mountainous region known for producing some of El Salvador’s most prized coffees. The altitude (1300–1650 masl), fertile volcanic soil, and unique microclimate allow the farm to cultivate exceptional Pacamara, Bourbon, and Geisha varieties.
Shade-grown and sustainably managed, La Haciendita’s farming practices protect the environment while producing high-density coffees celebrated by specialty coffee lovers.
Shipping & Returns
Free Shipping: On orders of $64 and above.
Weekly Schedule:
Order Cutoff: Monday at 8 AM EST
Roasting: Monday & Tuesday
Shipping: Wednesday & Thursday
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7 Day Guarantee
If for any reason our coffees do not live up to your expectations, please reach out to us within 7 days of delivery for a return or exchange.
Please send request along with order # to:
info@moodartisancoffee.com
This guarantee applies to whole bean coffee only and does not apply to ground coffee or merchandise.
This guarantee applies to first time customers only when purchasing a Discovery Set. Returns and refunds will be net of any shipping fees.
Read more about our guarantee here.