Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range, Santa Ana
Elevation: 1438-1800 masl
About: The super rare Bernardina variety was first discovered in 2008 on Finca Los Bellotos by farm manager Ruperto Bernardino Merche, from which it gets its name. He noticed five distinct trees from which the fruit tasted and smelt different, giving notes of peach, papaya, and mango. After genetic testing, it turns out the trees were originally from the Agaro region in Ethiopia, had somehow made it to El Salvador in the 1930s, and survived undiscovered until the present day. This coffee is from those original five trees! Specially produced for Proud Mary this lot was processed via the anaerobic honey sunset method, a special process refined over several years of experimentation. Whole coffee cherries are fermented in barrels without oxygen in a temperature-controlled environment. Afterwards, they are laid out on raised beds to dry. This process greatly enhances flavour complexity and creates a silky mouthfeel.