Odyssey Coffees
Sources: Odyssey Coffees (website); Sucafina interview with Emilio López Díaz (October 2, 2023); BeanScene Magazine interview by Ethan Miller (September 9, 2019)
Odyssey Coffees is a vertically integrated, seed-to-cup specialty coffee company with origin operations in El Salvador and commercial headquarters in Portland, Oregon, USA. They manage their own farms, processing mills, and export logistics, and hold inventory in US warehouses and European partner warehouses. They are a direct structural peer of Kaiserblick Specialty Coffee, covering the same value chain from farm to international customer.
Website: odysseycoffees.com
Topeca Coffee Roasters is Emilio’s roasting and retail brand, under which he sells roasted coffee in El Salvador and the US. Topeca was the operating identity before or alongside the formation of Odyssey Coffees as the joint-venture export arm. (source: BeanScene Magazine interview by Ethan Miller (September 9, 2019))
Trading partners include Sucafina (confirmed for Australia and US markets as of October 2023), alongside direct relationships with roasters worldwide. Green coffee is sold to buyers in more than 40 countries. Emilio personally visits roasteries before selling to them: “I don’t sell a single bean to someone I don’t know.” (source: Sucafina interview with Emilio López Díaz (October 2, 2023); BeanScene Magazine interview by Ethan Miller (September 9, 2019))
Founders
- Emilio López (CEO & Co-Founder) — seventh-generation farmer from the López family (his children are the 8th generation); multigenerational owners of Finca El Manzano, La Cumbre, and Ayutepeque since 1872 (El Manzano/La Cumbre) and 1840 (Ayutepeque); family originally from Spain, Colombia and elsewhere, settled in El Salvador in 1820 (one branch) and 1860 (another) for the coffee boom. Engineering management graduate of the University of Portland (2000); started the vertically integrated operation from just 25 hectares; Chair of the SCA Roasters Guild in 2017; also owns a farm and export operation in Brazil. Emilio distributes Pinhalense equipment in El Salvador. Note: the Odyssey website says “six generations” for some farms — Emilio’s own account of seven is more authoritative. (sources: Sucafina interview with Emilio López Díaz (October 2, 2023); BeanScene Magazine interview by Ethan Miller (September 9, 2019))
- José Roberto Santamaría (Co-Founder & Production) — multigenerational producer; brings Finca Tapantogusto, Las Piedras, and Las Isabellas into the group (joined 2007)
The merger was planned over 6 months, aligning all farms under a common methodology and quality standard to serve international markets.
Farms
Six farms totaling 550+ hectares, spanning three administrative zones of western El Salvador (all within the Apaneca-Ilamatepec coffee-growing belt).
Finca Ayutepeque
| Location | Chalchuapa, Santa Ana |
| Altitude | 1,000–1,100 masl |
| Size | 153 ha |
| Founded | 1840 (6 generations, López family) |
| Varieties | Pacamara, Pacas, Red Bourbon |
Named from the Mayan words AYUTE (turtle) and PEQUE (mountain). One of the oldest farms in the group; coffees known for suitability as espresso base. Production supervisor: Edwin Murillo.
Finca El Manzano
| Location | Chalchuapa, Santa Ana |
| Altitude | 1,300–1,550 masl |
| Size | 70 ha |
| Founded | 1872 (6 generations, Emilio López Díaz family) |
| Varieties | Yellow, Red, and Orange Bourbon; Pacamara; SL-34; Gesha; Pacas; Caturra |
In 2005 Emilio expanded by replanting new varieties and building Beneficio El Manzano. The farm has contributed to three national barista championships and achieved 1st and 2nd place at the 2018 El Salvador Cup of Excellence. Home to the El Manzano Mill. Production supervisor: Edwin Murillo.
Finca La Cumbre
| Location | Chalchuapa, Santa Ana |
| Altitude | 1,500–1,550 masl |
| Size | 10 ha |
| Founded | 1872 (highest portion of El Manzano) |
| Varieties | Pacamara, Gesha, SL-34, SL-28, Yellow and Orange Bourbon |
La Cumbre is a single-varietal microlot farm carved from the highest portion of Finca El Manzano. Shares the El Manzano barista championship and 2018 COE record. Focus on precision microlots.
Finca Tapantogusto
| Location | Juayúa, Sonsonate |
| Altitude | 1,250–1,370 masl |
| Size | 35 ha |
| Part of group since | 2007 |
| Varieties | Pacamara, Pacas, Red Bourbon |
“Tapantogusto” is Nahuatl for “covered with clouds” — a name honoring the Santamaría family’s heritage and respect for nature. Favorable cloud cover creates ideal microclimate conditions.
Finca Las Piedras
| Location | Juayúa, Sonsonate |
| Altitude | 1,000–1,200 masl |
| Size | 52 ha |
| Part of group since | 2007 |
| Varieties | Pacas, Red Bourbon |
Located in Juayúa with views across El Salvador’s mountain range. Protected by a windbreaker labyrinth and surrounding biodiversity.
Finca Las Isabellas
| Location | Apaneca, Ahuachapán |
| Altitude | 900–1,340 masl |
| Size | 245 ha (87 ha natural reserve) |
| Part of group since | 2007 |
| Varieties | Pacamara, Pacas, Red Bourbon |
The largest farm in the group. Home to Tequendama Mill, which also services neighboring producers. A portion of the farm is a permanent natural reserve — primary forest untouched for millennia. The website states 87 hectares; Emilio’s own account gives 75 hectares (possible measurement difference or update over time). The reserve serves as a water source for a community ~1 km away, providing spring water for approximately 2,000 families. Shelters endemic endangered species: ocelot, Beady Black-Eyed Frog, Yellow Throated Euphonia, Raccoons, and Crested Flycatcher. (source: Odyssey Coffees (website); Sucafina interview with Emilio López Díaz (October 2, 2023))
Mills
Beneficio El Manzano
Located within Finca El Manzano. Wet mill capacity: 10,000 bags; dry mill capacity: 25,000 bags. Full range of drying options: patio, raised beds, and mechanical drying. All processing methods available: natural, semi-washed, pulp natural, fully washed.
Tequendama Mill
Located within Finca Las Isabellas. Wet mill capacity: 5,000 bags. Also processes coffee from neighboring producers, functioning as a community mill for the Apaneca area. All coffee from Tequendama is sent to El Manzano for hulling — dry milling is centralized at one facility. Rich surrounding biodiversity provides stable microclimate for drying. (source: Sucafina interview with Emilio López Díaz (October 2, 2023))
Processing
Odyssey uses four processing methods. Note: their terminology differs slightly from SCA standard usage — see Coffee Processing.
| Odyssey term | Description | Approx. SCA equivalent | Drying time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural | Whole cherry dried intact | Natural | 12–14 days |
| Semi-Washed | Depulped; mucilage removed by water-pressure machine | Mechanically demucilaged / fully washed | 8–10 days |
| Pulp Natural | Depulped; mucilage left on for drying | Honey | 10–12 days |
| Fully Washed | Depulped; submerged in fermentation water 16–24h; rinsed | Fully washed / wet fermented | 7–10 days |
Wet Mill Process
Six-step wet mill sequence at Beneficio El Manzano:
- Mechanical Siphon — washes cherries, separates sinkers from floaters
- Bucket Elevator — transports coffee vertically to next stage
- Unripe Bean Separator — rejects underripe cherries, cycles them back to floaters
- Vertical Depulpers & Rotating Screen — removes pulp; filters oversized and deformed beans
- Fermentation Tanks — holds depulped coffee in water 12–24 hours; mucilage breaks down naturally
- Mucilage Remover — perforated cylinder with water and friction removes residual mucilage from parchment
Drying
Natural drying: patio 7–14 days or raised beds 10–14 days; raked every hour 8am–4pm.
Mechanical drying: 2–3 days patio pre-dry, then 2–3 days in vertical drum dryer at 35–45°C; dryer is fueled by coffee husk.
Final moisture target: 10–12%.
Dry Mill Process
Parchment Remover → Density Grader → Size Grader → Color Sorter (high-scan cameras)
Quality Control
Cherry quality evaluated before milling, graded C (lowest) to AA (optimum) based on maturation and sugar content. Grade informs processing method selection. Quality checked daily during processing. 150 g sample roasted from every lot; cupped after 24 hours. Roasting curves tracked with industry-standard software and shared with clients.
Export Logistics
Packed in GrainPro polyurethane bags (oxygen barrier), sealed inside 69 kg (150 lb) burlap sacks — standard for El Salvador and most of Central America. A 20-foot shipping container holds 275 bags (~42,000 lbs / ~19,000 kg); walls and floor lined with kraft paper; bags organized by lot. Sea freight: 3 weeks to 2 months to reach destination. Storage maintained at origin (El Salvador), US warehouses, and European partner warehouses.
Sustainability
Rainforest Alliance certified across all farms. Standards include: no harmful chemicals, flora and fauna protection, biodiversity preservation, no child labor, improved labor standards.
Growing Together program (launched April 2021): Addresses the labor migration crisis — workers leave El Salvador for better opportunities abroad, threatening the multi-generational workforce. Odyssey employees are 4+ generation coffee families in the same region. Program mechanics:
- Technical workshops: pruning, soil analysis, market pricing, coffee trends
- “Growing Together” named blend: community-sourced coffee sold as a differentiated product
- Lot selection available for medium-sized partner farms
- Prepayment: Odyssey pays for coffee before delivery so farmers can fund fertilizers and seasonal costs
- Quarterly open-floor discussions for ~100 producers
- Medical team visits; vision program: 249 students and 13 teachers tested at 2 schools — 32% of children needed glasses, Odyssey sponsored them
Impact: Community coffee quality improved from 80 → 83 SCA points since program launch and continues to rise. (source: Sucafina interview with Emilio López Díaz (October 2, 2023))
Team
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Emilio López | CEO & Co-Founder |
| José Roberto Santamaría | Co-Founder & Production |
| Edwin Murillo | Production Supervisor, Ayutepeque & El Manzano |
| Oscar Rivas | Production Supervisor, Las Isabellas & Tequendama |
| Alejandro Pineda | Mandador, Finca Ayutepeque |
| Luis Martinez | Head of Production |
| Policarpo Flores | Head of Milling |
| Javier López | Head of Quality Control |
Contact
- Email: steph@odysseycoffees.com
- USA (Portland, OR): +1 (503) 799-9675
- El Salvador (San Salvador): (+503) 2564 6874