Region: Chalchuapa, Santa Ana
Elevation: 1,500 – 1,550 masl
About: La Cumbre (the top) is the highest section of Finca El Manzano, where the best of Emilio’s coffees are found. Established in 1872, Finca El Manzano has remained under the stewardship of the López Díaz family for an impressive span of seven generations. In 2005, Emilio López Díaz undertook an expansion of El Manzano by erecting a processing mill, thereby affording him precise control over every facet of production. This visionary move also witnessed the introduction of unconventional varieties, such as SL-34 and Geisha, which were previously absent in the Salvadoran coffee landscape.
As a testament to these enhancements, Emilio's Geisha took both 1st and 2nd positions during the 2018 Cup of Excellence competition—an unprecedented feat. The diligence exhibited by Emilio and his team in El Manzano's processing operations is evident. Each delivery of cherry undergoes rigorous assessment based on its sugar content prior to acceptance. This data subsequently guides the determination of optimal drying periods, ensuring uniform quality among daily lots and a consistently remarkable cup profile.