Finca Serbia

Finca Serbia has been growing coffee since 1930, sitting south of Santa Ana near Lake Coatepeque in El Salvador, on land fed by the volcanic soils of Ilamatepec - the Santa Ana volcano. That fertile ground, combined with a dry winter microclimate unusual for a country defined by tropical weather, gives the coffee a calm, settled character that comes through clearly in the cup. The farm grows Bourbon under shade trees, recently extended to include cedars, oaks and balsam as protection against increasingly intense summers, and switched to leaf-rust resistant varieties over a decade ago - a decision that kept them largely unscathed when a rust pandemic swept Central America in 2012.

Processed through the wet mill on site and washed, this is a clean, composed coffee with a sweetness that feels rounded rather than sharp. The flavour notes of Caramac, stroopwafel and cacao nibs sit together warmly - milky caramel softened by a faint bitterness at the edges. It holds its character across most brew methods, with or without milk. If you tend to reach for something smooth and sweet-natured in the morning, this one delivers quietly and reliably.