If Castillo Pola is the experimental face of Las Brisas, the Bourbon Pola is the classic done right. Same producer, same land, different variety and process. And it results in a completely different cup.
Where it comes from
Classic Bourbon cultivated by Carlos Pola at Finca Las Brisas, in Juayúa (Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, El Salvador) at 1,300 meters above sea level. The same farm and the same team as Castillo Pola, but with a different variety and process.
If you want to understand how the process changes a cup, try these two coffees side by side: the Castillo Pola (anaerobic natural) and the Bourbon Pola (honey). Same origin, very different profiles.
The process: honey
Honey is a hybrid between washed and natural. The cherry is depulped (like in washed) but the bean dries with the mucilage — the sticky sugary layer — still attached (like in natural).
The mucilage caramelizes slowly during drying and adds sweetness and body to the bean. The result in the cup is rounder and creamier than a traditional washed coffee, without reaching the fruity intensity of a natural.
Tasting notes
Caramel, plum, almond, flower honey. Medium body, broad sweetness, low-medium acidity. A comfortable, balanced cup, easy to love.
How to brew it
The honey works especially well with V60 and Chemex: the clean filtration highlights the caramel sweetness and creaminess without becoming heavy.
It also works in a classic Italian moka for those days when you crave something more traditional. Ratio 1:10, preheated water, medium heat, remove before it finishes rising.
More about our coffees
- Castillo Pola El Salvador — from the same producer, anaerobic natural
- Coffee processes: washed, honey, natural, anaerobic
- How to brew specialty coffee in V60
