Finca Kilimanjaro
Finca Kilimanjaro is owned by the Batlle family, and has been run mainly by Aida Batlle, the sixth generation of the family to produce coffee, for almost 2 decades. Aida is a true trailblazer in the coffee world, having been the first woman to win a Cup of Excellence, the inaugural Salvadoran competition in 2003.
Aida Battle
Fleeing to Miami during El Salvador’s brutal Civil War, Aida returned to the family’s farms in the late 90’s. Although much of the coffee from the farms was pre-contracted to a local buyer, Aida was free to experiment on the highest plot of land, with the highest quality potential, Finca Kilimanjaro.
It was not long after this that her attention to detail paid off, and the Cup of Excellence win opened the doors not only for the Batlle farms, but for a wider quality revolution in El Salvador. Since then, Aida has worked with some of the finest roasters across the world, innovating in new varietals, processing techniques, the export of cascara, and developing direct trade models.
This coffee comes from Kilimanjaro itself, located high on the slopes of the Santa Ana volcano, not far from the town of Santa Ana. The volcanic soils of Santa Ana are very fertile, leading to excellent yields as well as quality.
Here, as on all of the family farms, the level of control at all stages is impressive. Only the ripest red cherries are picked, fermentation protocols are followed to the letter, and coffee is stored and dry-milled under exacting conditions.
Kilimanjaro Washed
We visited the farm and the attached processing station in March 2023, and were once again impressed by the systems employed, and the continued push for improvement. A collaborative plot with World Coffee Research is home to genetic blueprints for Salvadoran varietals, and continually searches for new ways to improve quality, both at the Batlle farms and across the coffee belt.
This lot is a blend of the varietals grown at Kilimanjaro, which includes both SL varietals and Bourbon, processed using the washed method. This leads to a rich and sweet cup, with a round and juicy berry acidity.
This year we were fortunate enough to be able to purchase a small amount of the Natural Kilimanjaro as well. Follow the link below to read more about Finca Kilimanjaro, and the natural lot from Aida Batlle.
This month, the washed Kilimanjaro is also featured in our Discovery Subscription, alongside a washed lot from long time collaborator Diego Baraona at Los Pirineos, read more by following the link below.
