The high-altitude Chalatenango district of Alotepec-Metapán in El Salvador is known for producing some of the country's most exceptional, often award-winning coffees. We first met Jaime Guevara a decade ago because his farm, Finca Don Jaime, had won a prestigious local quality award. Since then, Jaime's coffee has consistently delivered a delicious and approachable cup, beautifully representing the classic profile of El Salvadorean coffee.

The farm focuses on producing small, carefully managed micro-lots and Jaime has continued to win awards for his coffee since we met. Embracing innovation, Jaime was one of the first adopters in the region of raised drying beds to meticulously control the drying process after fermentation. This move away from the traditional El Salvadorean concrete patio method transformed his quality output. Building on this progress, we collaborated with Jaime to further refine his process by funding the construction of a shading system for these beds. This has proven especially valuable for Jaime’s processing, helping to preserve the natural sweetness of his micro-lots and reduce the risk of overfermentation.