Las Brumas

I purchased Las Brumas Farm in 2009, captivated by its natural beauty and its unique and exceptional microclimate.

The farm is located on the Santa Ana Volcano, within the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range, in the Department of Sonsonate, El Salvador. It sits at an elevation ranging from 1,460 to 2,000 meters above sea level. The property currently covers 150 manzanas (approximately 105 hectares), of which 100 manzanas are cultivated with coffee and 50 manzanas consist of pristine cloud forest.

Because of its location among three of El Salvador’s most important and beautiful volcanoes, an area known as the Volcanoes National Park, the farm benefits from a mild and misty microclimate throughout most of the year. For this reason, I decided to name it “Las Brumas Farm” (“The Mists Farm”).

Each year, during the rainy agricultural season—when most farm activities take place—we maintain a permanent workforce averaging 30 employees per day. During the harvest season, which runs from January through April, we employ an average of 40 temporary workers per day.

Cultural Background:

I belong to the third generation of coffee producers in my family. My grandfather, Dr. Carlos Menéndez Castro, began cultivating coffee in 1930. Later, my father, Carlos Menéndez Salazar, continued the family tradition. When my father passed away in 1995, I inherited my first coffee farm at the age of 19 and dedicated myself entirely to coffee cultivation.

I also had the opportunity to work for three of the most important coffee companies in El Salvador: J. Hill & Co., JASAL S.A. de C.V., and Agroindustrias El Carmen, from 1999 to 2012.

At J. Hill & Co. and JASAL S.A. de C.V., I was part of the Quality Control Department beginning in 1999. This experience allowed me to gain an in-depth understanding of the art of coffee cupping, as well as quality control and quality assurance throughout the entire coffee production and export chain.

My professional experience also gave me the opportunity to serve as a National Judge for the Cup of Excellence (COE) El Salvador competition from its inaugural edition in 2003 through 2011. Furthermore, I achieved the goal of winning first place in the prestigious Cup of Excellence El Salvador competition on three occasions (2008, 2012, and 2024).

I am also honored to have become the first coffee producer in El Salvador to receive the highest distinction awarded by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE), earning the title of Legend of Excellence El Salvador 2025–2026.

In addition, I am proud to have supplied coffee from Finca La Ilusión to World Barista Champion (WBC) Alejandro Méndez for the World Barista Championship in Bogotá, Colombia, in 2011, and coffee from Finca Las Brumas to World Barista Champion (WBC) Dale Harris for the World Barista Championship in Busan, South Korea, in 2017."