Montecarlos Medium, El Salvador

Montecarlos is a truly spectacular farm; it covers the entire circumference of a long dormant volcano nestled in a chain of volcanic cones, two of which have recently erupted. Near its base are fumaroles spewing sulfuric vapors, heating and turning the surrounding volcanic rock white. On one side is the Pacific Ocean and on the other the Central Plateau bringing warm winds up the northern slopes. Tall slender wind-break trees form walls which criss cross each other into neat squares throughout the farm. Inside the crater is a lush virgin forest surrounding a meadow with a pond below. The volcanic topography creates an ideal microclimate for coffee—with fertile soil coupled with high elevation and shade-grown coffee trees. Montecarlos Estate is owned and run by Carlos Batres and his wife, Julie. The couple were both educated in the US and have lived in metropolitan areas like D.C. and New York, as well as London, where Batres represented El Salvador at the International Coffee Organizat