Las Brumas
Ernesto Menendez
12
At Finca Las Brumas, coffee isn't just a crop — it's a way of life, carried through three generations of the Menéndez family. The journey began in 1930 with Dr. Carlos Menéndez Castro, passed to his son, and then to Ernesto, who inherited his first farm at just 19 years old. They embrace sustainable practices, use no herbicides, and invest in extended fermentation experiments, including the anaerobic processes that earned them COE 2024's top spot.
"I belong to the third generation of coffee producers in my family. When my father passed away in 1995, I inherited my first coffee farm at the age of 19, and I've dedicated myself 100% to coffee cultivation ever since. In 2008, I won 1st place in COE El Salvador with Finca La Ilusión. In 2010, 1st place with Finca Suiza. In 2011, we supported Alejandro Méndez — El Salvador's National Barista Champion — providing our best coffees for the World Barista Championship in Bogotá, where he won 1st place. In 2012, 1st place with Finca Las Brumas."
In 2014, coffee leaf rust devastated the crops. In 2017, the lot prepared for COE was instead exported to the UK, where Dale Harris used the SL28 washed coffee from Finca Las Brumas at the World Barista Championship — and won 1st place. The COVID-19 pandemic further slowed things down, but in 2024 they returned to COE in the Experimental Coffee category and achieved 1st place once more. "It has been a long road, full of highs and lows. But without a doubt, Cup of Excellence has been a great blessing for me and my family — and it has forever shaped my life."
Coffee Description
At Finca Las Brumas, coffee isn't just a crop — it's a way of life, carried through three generations of the Menéndez family. The journey began in 1930 with Dr. Carlos Menéndez Castro, passed to his son, and then to Ernesto, who inherited his first farm at just 19 years old. They embrace sustainable practices, use no herbicides, and invest in extended fermentation experiments, including the anaerobic processes that earned them COE 2024's top spot.
"I belong to the third generation of coffee producers in my family. When my father passed away in 1995, I inherited my first coffee farm at the age of 19, and I've dedicated myself 100% to coffee cultivation ever since. In 2008, I won 1st place in COE El Salvador with Finca La Ilusión. In 2010, 1st place with Finca Suiza. In 2011, we supported Alejandro Méndez — El Salvador's National Barista Champion — providing our best coffees for the World Barista Championship in Bogotá, where he won 1st place. In 2012, 1st place with Finca Las Brumas."
In 2014, coffee leaf rust devastated the crops. In 2017, the lot prepared for COE was instead exported to the UK, where Dale Harris used the SL28 washed coffee from Finca Las Brumas at the World Barista Championship — and won 1st place. The COVID-19 pandemic further slowed things down, but in 2024 they returned to COE in the Experimental Coffee category and achieved 1st place once more. "It has been a long road, full of highs and lows. But without a doubt, Cup of Excellence has been a great blessing for me and my family — and it has forever shaped my life."
