Episode 368 on Monday the 30th of November, 2015. El Salvador Finca Alaska Washed Bourbon. - a podcast by Stephen Leighton

from 2015-11-29T19:50:46

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A coffee I first fell in love with waaaaaaay back in 2007 makes a super-welcome return to the Has Bean family. Everyone please welcome back FINCA ALASKA!


Finca Alaska is located just one hour from Santa Ana city on the north west slopes of the Santa Ana volcano, which is one of the most amazing coffee growing areas in El Salvador. It is owned by Ernesto Mednez of La Ilusion fame or, as we like to call him, Neto! This is a name you should be familiar with by now, because I think you know how much I love the coffee this amazing man grows. I often get asked what my favourite coffee of all time is and I will never say exactly (although my friends know the true answer), but I always narrow it to three coffees; one of them is definitely from Neto.


This is a coffee that we first saw back in 2007 (check out 2007 Steve and Neto in the main picture!) and I was desperate to have a long-term relationship with the grower. Due to some politics and miscommunication, it slipped through our fingers. The following year we bought coffee from La Ilusion but it always felt like there was a piece of the jigsaw missing. I managed to get my hands on Finca Alaska four years later in 2011, and now another four years later in 2015 I've done it again. I will do my best to not let it be four years until we see Finca Alaska again, I promise!


In the cup you're going to think you've melted down a bar of Galaxy chocolate, super smooth andcreamy and dreamy milk chocolate everywhere!  There's also a generous handful of hazelnuts with a delicious soft peach acidity on the finish 🍫🌰🍑


  • Country: El Salvador

  • Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range

  • Nearest City: Santa Ana

  • Farm: Finca Alaska

  • Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello

  • Altitude: 1,620 m.a.s.l.

  • Farm Size: 3.15 Hectares

  • Coffee growing area: 3.15 Hectares

  • Variety: Bourbón

  • Processing System: Washed & Sun Dried

  • Type of Shade: Pepeto peludo, gravileo, cypress, copalchi, etc.

  • Average Annual Rainfall: 2,100 mm

  • Average Temperature: 18º C

  • Type of Soil: Sandy loam

  • Fauna: Armadillos, Torogoz, Agouti, snakes, squirrels, orioles, deer, hawks, rabbits.

  • GPS Coordinates: Latitude: N 13º 52’ 22.2’’

  • Longitude: W 89º 36’ 22.6’’

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