WINTER COFFEE

A key component of Café Pacas' quality philosophy is the family-owned Beneficio Vivagua, the central coffee mill where all coffees are carefully processed and prepared. Full traceability from planting to harvesting, fermentation, and export – every step is in the hands of the Pacas family – a closed loop that ensures transparency and consistent quality. For generations, the Pacas family has stood for innovation and as coffee pioneers in Salvadoran coffee cultivation. Unique varieties were discovered on the family farms – in 1956, a variety known as Pacas was discovered and is now cultivated throughout Central America. Extremely resistant to disease and resilient, it delivers stable yields with a balanced flavor profile – sweet, balanced, and aromatic – or Bernardina, named after Ruperto Bernardino Merche, the farm manager who discovered the trees in 2012. But the family's commitment extends far beyond coffee. On its own farms and in cooperation with neighboring farms, Café Pacas supports educational and sustainability projects that benefit the people in the region. These include income diversification programs through cocoa cultivation and fruit orchards to promote a more balanced diet and economic stability.

Café Pacas' farms are vibrant, biodiverse landscapes where coffee cultivation and nature conservation go hand in hand. A rich variety of native tree and shrub species thrives among the carefully tended coffee plants, providing habitat for numerous birds, reptiles, and wildcats. The plantations also function as natural forests, sequestering CO₂, storing water, and thus actively contributing to climate protection. A key component of this sustainable cultivation is the targeted use of shade trees such as ingas, jocote de corona, avocado, and lengua de vaca. During the growth phase, these trees are pruned to allow the coffee plants to receive around 70% sunlight. Once cherries develop, the canopies thicken, providing more shade – approximately 30% sunlight is sufficient to promote slow ripening and sweeter, more complex aromas. To protect the steep and erosion-prone slopes, izote trees have been planted, their extensive root systems stabilizing the soil. In addition, fosas – large trenches – ensure that rainwater and organic nutrients are retained in the soil. This keeps the soil fertile and well-moistened. Fertilization is done exclusively with organic materials, primarily coffee pulp and the leaves of shade trees. This sustainable cultivation creates a stable microclimate that benefits plants, animals, and people alike – and shapes the distinctive character of Café Pacas coffees.