Los Andes - El Salvador {SL28 Washed}

Fact Sheet

Roaster: Drop Coffee Roasters
Origin: Santa Ana, El Salvador
Farm: Los Andes
Producer: Ernesto Menéndez
Altitude: 1720 masl
Varietal: SL28
Process: Washed
Profile: Black currant · Lemon curd · Rhubarb pie · Hibiscus · Caramel
Format: 250 g

Los Andes SL28 is a unique interpretation of one of the most iconic coffee varieties in the world.

Grown in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range by Ernesto Menéndez, this lot demonstrates how the SL28 variety—famous for the great coffees of Kenya—can develop a distinct and sophisticated profile in El Salvador.

The Los Andes farm, cultivated almost like a natural forest, allows for slow maturation and a profile full of aromatic layers and vibrant acidity.

The result is a bright, floral coffee with a very elegant structure.

Process

Processed using the washed method, focused on clarity and definition:

Selective harvesting of ripe cherries
Controlled fermentation
Thorough washing for maximum cleanliness
Slow drying to preserve complexity

This process highlights the bright acidity and floral expression of the SL28.

Sensory profile

Caramel
Blackcurrant
Lemon curd
Rhubarb
Hibiscus
Nutty notes

Drop Coffee was founded in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2009 as a coffee bar near Mariatorget focused on serving tasty coffee. A year later, we started roasting on a 1kg roaster in the back of our shop. In 2012, we made the leap to a 25kg Diedrich roaster and moved production into a dedicated facility to begin supplying wholesale customers. In 2013, Drop Coffee became the official supplier of Kalita brewing equipment in Sweden, and we’ve been brewing together ever since.

In 2018, we relocated our roastery to Rosersberg, just north of Stockholm, where we currently operate as a certified organic roaster. Our coffee bar remains in its original location, although it has gradually expanded in size to accommodate our growing customer base.

Today, Joanna Alm and Stephen Leighton are co-owners of Drop Coffee and run the company with help from a small but mighty team of skilled roasters and baristas. Joanna is a three-time Swedish Coffee Roasting Champion who has repeatedly ranked among the top three roasters in the world. She also authored the book Manifest För Bättre Kaffe (Manifest for Better Coffee).

RAW COFFEE & SUSTAINABILITY

It all begins with the coffee growers. This is why we only purchase fully transparent coffee from single farms and cooperatives that we’ve personally visited. With help of a sustainability attorney, we have created detailed internal criteria to guide us through the entire buying process and ensure fair practices for all involved. We primarily focus on the origin countries of Bolivia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ethiopia and Kenya, as we find their quality standards to be most aligned with ours.

At home in Sweden, Drop Coffee is a proud member of the national trade union HRF. Our roasting facility is certified organic and almost all of the ingredients we use in our café are locally produced on a small scale and are organic whenever possible.

In 2021, we published our first annual sustainability report, something we’re very proud of and intend to continue doing yearly to help keep us and those we work with accountable.

Our ideal cup is clean and bright, with the varietal’s origin and personality at front and centre. To achieve this, we stick to a light to medium roast profile, tailored to bring forth as much of the bean’s natural acidity and sweetness as possible. Some coffees will inherently taste acidic and juicy, while others will feel more creamy and chocolatey. Regardless, we always roast for utmost clarity, consistency and maximum flavour, making all our coffees equally exceptional for every brewing method.

RECOGNITION

Part of our work is to attend coffee competitions, where we get to put our knowledge and skills to the test in real time. Joanna has represented Drop at the World Coffee Roasting Championship on multiple occasions and members of our team have also won several titles including:

Silver & Bronze in World Coffee Roasting Championships
4x Winner of Swedish Roaster Championship
3x Winner of Swedish Barista Championship
2x Winner of Swedish Latte Art Championship
2x Winner of Swedish Brewers Championship
2x Winner White Guide Coffee Bar of the Year
Most Notable Roaster - Sprudge