Coffee Varieties
Sources: Kaiserblick Specialty Coffee (website); El Arte del Café by Sébastien Racineux & Chung-Leng Tran (Lunwerg, 2017)
Kaiserblick Specialty Coffee grows a mix of traditional Salvadoran varieties and more exotic specialty varieties across its Farms. (source: kaiserblick-dev-crawl.md)
Traditional Salvadoran Varieties
Bourbon
A classic arabica variety and one of the most emblematic in El Salvador. Grown at San Cayetano, El Naranjo, Tres Puertas, and Los Manantiales / Cielito Lindo (as Bourbon Shekina). Present in both red and yellow (amarillo) phenotypes.
Bourbon Shekina
A sub-selection of Bourbon grown at Los Manantiales and Cielito Lindo. Featured in the roasted coffee lineup.
Pacamara
A Salvadoran hybrid of Pacas and Maragogipe, known for its large bean size and complex cup profile. Grown at San Cayetano and Los Manantiales. Present in red and yellow phenotypes at San Cayetano. Also features in the roasted coffee lineup.
Pacas
A natural mutation of Bourbon developed in El Salvador. Grown at El Naranjo, Tres Puertas, and El Retiro. Present in red and yellow phenotypes at Tres Puertas.
Caturra
A natural mutation of Bourbon. The amarillo (yellow) phenotype is grown at San Cayetano.
Exotic and Emerging Varieties
Ethiosar
An Ethiopian-origin variety grown at San Cayetano. Described as exotic.
Heirloom
Generic designation for Ethiopian heirloom varieties. Grown at San Cayetano.
Sydra
A rare variety grown at Cielito Lindo.
Ethiope
An Ethiopian-origin variety grown at Cielito Lindo.
Gesha
One of the most prized specialty coffee varieties globally. Referenced in the roasted coffee lineup as Gesha · El Izotal — the source farm El Izotal is not listed among Kaiserblick’s six farms and may be a partner farm. Needs verification.
Marseillesa
Grown at Tres Puertas.
Castillo
Grown at Cielito Lindo.
Anacafé 14
A variety developed by ANACAFÉ (Guatemala’s National Coffee Association / Asociación Nacional del Café) and grown in both Guatemala and El Salvador. Grown at Kaiserblick’s El Retiro farm. Also used by Rafael Silva Jr. at Finca El Ángel in Apaneca, where it is processed as a Natural. Known for an expressive, structured cup with red berry and dark fruit notes, cacao, and dark chocolate — a “modern Salvadoran profile.” (source: Main Lane Coffee Roasters (website, 2026-04-28))
Catimor
A robusta-arabica hybrid known for disease resistance, grown at El Naranjo.
Summary by Farm
| Farm | Varieties |
|---|---|
| San Cayetano | Bourbon r/a, Pacamara r/a, Caturra amarillo, Ethiosar, Heirloom |
| El Naranjo | Bourbon, Pacas, Catimor |
| Los Manantiales | Bourbon Shekina, Pacamara |
| Cielito Lindo | Bourbon Shekina, Pacamara, Castillo, Ethiope, Sydra |
| Tres Puertas | Bourbon, Pacas r/a, Marseillesa |
| El Retiro | Pacas, Anacafé 14 |
Variety Profiles (from specialty coffee literature)
The following profiles are drawn from El Arte del Café (Source Summary) and apply globally; Kaiserblick-specific growing notes are in Farms.
Bourbon
- Origin: Natural mutation of Typica; originated on Réunion island (then called Ile Bourbon) around 1720. Arrived in Central America via missionaries.
- Plant: Smaller cherries than Typica; red, yellow, and orange variants. Resistant at 1,000–2,000 m.
- Productivity: Low (20–30% below Typica).
- Cup: Fine, light body, smooth. Considered a benchmark variety for quality.
- Preparation: Red Bourbon → espresso; Yellow Bourbon → cold brew or filter. (source: El Arte del Café)
Pacas
- Origin: Natural Bourbon mutation discovered in El Salvador in 1949 by a farmer named Pacas.
- Plant: Smaller than Bourbon.
- Productivity: Quite good at high altitude.
- Disease resistance: Better than Bourbon.
- Cup: More or less similar to Bourbon.
- Preparation: Espresso. (source: El Arte del Café)
Pacamara
- Origin: Hybrid (Pacas × Maragogype) created in El Salvador in 1958 through collaboration between France and CIRAD. Goal: combine Pacas quality with Maragogype’s large bean size.
- Plant: Small, but large beans. Vigorous plant.
- Other producers: Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala.
- Productivity: Better than Pacas.
- Disease resistance: Good against weather and wind.
- Cup: Complex aromatics; good acidity when cultivated at high altitude in good conditions.
- Preparation: Filter/soft methods. (source: El Arte del Café)
Geisha (Gesha)
- Origin: Apparently from the southwest of Ethiopia near a town called Gesha; discovered 1931. Seeds introduced to Kenya 1932; trials in Costa Rica 1950; introduced to Panama 1963; achieved global specialty recognition in the 2000s.
- Plant: Large, with long leaves, cherries, and seeds.
- Other producers: Colombia, Costa Rica.
- Productivity: Low; best above 1,500 m in specific soils.
- Disease resistance: Quite good.
- Cup: Very distinctive aromatic profile — floral, very refined, complex, tea-like body, citrus and berry aromas. Has won international competitions. Premium pricing.
- Preparation: Filter/soft methods preferred. (source: El Arte del Café)
Caturra
- Origin: Bourbon mutation discovered near the town of Caturra in Brazil, 1937.
- Plant: Small shrub with large leaves.
- Producers: Costa Rica and Nicaragua primarily; small amounts in Brazil.
- Productivity: Good, better than Bourbon.
- Disease resistance: Better than Bourbon or Typica.
- Cup: Generally below Bourbon quality.
- Preparation: Espresso and filter. (source: El Arte del Café)
Catuai
- Origin: Hybrid (Mundo Novo × Caturra amarillo) from Brazil, 1968.
- Plant: Small shrub.
- Other producers: Very present in Brazil and Central America.
- Productivity: Good; can be planted at high density from 800 m.
- Disease resistance: Good against wind (cherries don’t fall easily).
- Cup: Standard quality.
- Preparation: Espresso. (source: El Arte del Café)
Typica
- Origin: The oldest arabica variety; parent of Bourbon and many others (Blue Mountain, Maragogype).
- Plant: Large, conical; 3.5–6 m tall; copper-coloured young leaves.
- Producers: Almost all producing countries grow Typica in some quantity.
- Productivity: Relatively low.
- Disease resistance: Better at high altitude.
- Cup: Renowned for aromatic complexity.
- Preparation: Espresso and filter. (source: El Arte del Café)
Catimor
- Origin: Hybrid (Híbrido de Timor × Caturra), created in Portugal.
- Plant: Normal cherry size.
- Other producers: Central America, South America.
- Productivity: High.
- Disease resistance: Resistant; adapts to modest altitudes.
- Cup: More debatable due to Coffea canephora genetics.
- Preparation: Espresso. (source: El Arte del Café)
Market Varieties (not grown by Kaiserblick)
The following varieties appear in specialty coffee traded through channels relevant to Kaiserblick’s market — noted here for competitive awareness and buyer conversations.
Chiroso
A Colombian variety grown primarily in Nariño at extreme altitudes (2,100–2,300 m). Produces an intensely sweet, fruit-forward cup with ripe stone fruit and berry acidity. Associated with careful fully-washed processing including microorganism-inoculated harvest bags and minimal washing steps. Considered an Excellence-tier variety by specialty roasters. (source: Main Lane Coffee Roasters (website, 2026-04-28))
Mundo Maya
A Mexican variety grown in Veracruz. Fully washed. Cup profile: caramel, apple, cacao — approachable and clean. Typically positioned as an everyday specialty coffee (Easy tier). (source: Main Lane Coffee Roasters (website, 2026-04-28))