COE Origin Immersion – Instituto Salvadoreño Del Café San Salvador, El Salvador

Introduction:

Welcome to the COE Origin immersion Program: El Salvador 2024! This exciting class will take you on a remarkable journey through the world of coffee, with a focus on the unique and vibrant coffee culture of El Salvador. Over the course of five days, you’ll delve deep into the intricacies of coffee production, cupping, and the rich history of this Central American coffee-producing gem.

Over the five-day course, students will participate in:

1. COE Cupping and Scoring: Students will learn how to accurately cup and score coffee, through lectures and COE calibration discussions. Cupping sessions will focus on coffee varieties and processing unique to El Salvador.
2. El Salvador Coffee Industry: Participants will learn about the history, varieties, processing methods, and the future of El Salvador’s coffee industry through presentations and discussions from industry leaders.
3. Coffee Production and Processing: This topic provides insights into the coffee production process, including visits to farms, mills, and roasters, with a focus on understanding how coffee is grown, processed, and roasted.
4. Coffee Defects and Quality Control: Participants will learn to identify coffee defects and implement quality control measures, ensuring an appreciation for high-quality Salvadoran coffee.
5. Sustainability and Coffee Varieties: This topic explores sustainable coffee practices and emphasizes the importance of preserving coffee varieties. Discussions will include topics like biodiversity and trade practices through the lens of COE.
6. Roasting and Espresso Tasting: Delving into the art of coffee roasting, including hands-on roasting competitions, and experiencing espresso tasting sessions to understand the nuances of espresso preparation and flavor profiles.

Prepare for an unforgettable journey into the heart of El Salvador’s coffee culture, from seed to cup. This COE Origin Experience promises to be an educational and sensory adventure that will leave you with a deep appreciation for the art and science of coffee. Get ready to immerse yourself in the world of coffee in one of its most fascinating origins.

Each day breakfast will be provided in the hotel (Hotel is included in the price)! Transportation will be provided to and from the hotel to the Instituto Salvadoreño del Café for class. Start and end times will vary each day.

Day 1 & 2 we focus on COE cupping, the protocol of identifying qualities, identifying common flavor attributes, scoring, and a common language. We then will advance to expose all participants to a technical approach to our quality variables, different varietals, and common defects. Sessions include lab, lecture, active discussions, and field trips to coffee farms. Student will experience multiple cupping sessions focused on the unique varietals and processing methods of El Salvador. These sessions will take place at leading farms and mills around El Salvador. Along with learning about cupping, students will gain first-hand information on the Salvadoran coffee industry from leading farmers and industry experts.

Day 3 will be filled with a multiple cupping session test. Our instructors will gather students cupping scores and begin to create a report that will be provided to the students on the last day of class. The report will detail how well students were able to calibrate with the group and accurately score specific coffees from the country of El Salvador. After lunch on the third day, we will continue our exploration of the Salvadoran coffee industry with more excursions.

Day 4 will begin with in-depth lectures, from local experts, on how to correctly roast the traditional varieties of coffee grown in El Salvador. Following this immersive experience, students will travel to the ISC Coffee variety garden to continue their firsthand learning about the varieties of coffee grown in El Salvador. After lunch students will partner with local roasting experts for a roasting workshop that will culminate in a friendly competition to see who can roast the best Salvadorian Coffee! Our 4^th day will end with a trip to the town center for a chance to relax, enjoy local culture and a dinner with the group.

Day 5 will begin with a very special cupping of coffees produced by COE winning coffee farmers. This coffee will represent the very best of what El Salvador produces each year. This cupping will be followed up with a tasting and announcements of results from our friendly roasting competition. From here we will travel to a nearby farm to continue our discussion with farmers about the opportunities and challenges faced by the local coffee community. After lunch the group will experience more Salvadoran flavor with a local fruit tasting.

Our last day will culminate with a trip to the beach where we will host an awards ceremony and dinner for our students. This is sure to be a night to remember as we eat, celebrate, and reflect on the amazing community that is the Salvadoran coffee industry.

Please bring a notebook and, if you like, samples of your roasted beans. You’ll have the opportunity to see other coffees from other attendees. We’ll be actively standing during cupping and seated for discussions, so please wear comfortable clothing and shoes. No use of perfume or cologne allowed.

You will receive a COE cupping spoon, an apron, and other fun things at the beginning of the class. Upon completing the course, you will receive a certificate of completion signed by your instructor.  The top three students, based on the test results will be guaranteed a either observer or jury seats in the 2024 or 2025 El Salvador COE.

Host: Instituto Salvadoreño del Café

The Institute is the governing body in the formulation and direction of the National Policy on coffee matters; in the orientation and promotion of Salvadoran coffee growing, in order to ensure the economic, educational, social and environmental development of the country; as well as the design of programs and projects that promote the participation, productivity and development of producers; and, in the execution and promotion of scientific research, technology transfer, innovation and technological development of coffee, to generate an increase in its productivity, enhance its quality, resilience to climate vulnerability, generate environmental services of the coffee park and reduce the costs of its production, for the benefit of the members of the coffee production chain.

 

 

INSTRUCTORS

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

All COE courses require eight students to register for the class to run. Once you have registered for the course, we will send you updates on the status of the class and how registration is proceeding.

COE Courses are eligible for a 100% refund for 31 days before class starts. Between 30 and 16 days before the start of class, the courses are eligible for a 50% refund. From 15 days before the beginning of the system, it is nonrefundable unless ACE cancels the course. Refunds Requested over 90 days after the initial date of purchase will only be issued in the form of credit for future purchases on the ACE website.

If students are late or do not show up for class, ACE cannot ensure their cupping data will be included in group discussions, calibrations, or post-class reports.