For us, the typical aromatic profile of El Salvador is a marvel, largely undervalued in today's market. It's the coffee version of comfort food.

Add to that, It is increasingly difficult to find a high-quality coffee from El Salvador. One without astringency and with aromatic depth. If high-quality El Salvadoran coffee were an animal, it would be on the endangered species list.

Rodolfo is one of those who is invested to produce and defend these wonderful coffees. Onwards and upwards.

The old hybrid cultivars planted by his father are carefully harvested, then fermented and dried as whole fruits.

The fermentation phase was beautifully managed, imparting rich fruity aromas balanced with the deep chocolate notes found in many hybrid cultivars from this region.

This batch is expertly dried to a low moisture content of 9-10%, which is important for quality. Beyond the 13% moisture content required for export, further drying reduces revenue (less weight to sell) and results in significant additional costs (time, space, and labor). Only the best producers demonstrate the care and commitment required for slow, careful drying.

At Tribute, we focus on authentic coffees. Coffees that display clear characteristics linked to the terroir and the choices made by skilled professionals who harvest, ferment, dry, and mill the coffee before export. To create something delicious and meaningful. Something to be proud of.

Combine the delicate balance of whole fruit drying with careful monitoring of final moisture content and you get this coffee of unmistakable Salvadoran excellence.

In the cup, a beautiful harmony between fruity (cherry and berries) and chocolate aromas. The taste balance reinforces these wonderful aromas.

It's a killer on espresso.

Owner: Rodolfo Ruffatti

Region: Cerro Santa Lucia, Santa Ana

Farm: Finca Guanacaste

Species: Arabica

Varieties: Various hybrids

Processing: Dried whole fruits

Drying: Beds

Altitude: 1,650 masl

Harvest type: Manual

Exporter: Sapere.coffee (Ruffatti owned)

Importer: Sapere.coffee (Ruffatti owned)

Moisture content of green coffee at the time of purchase: 9.

Finca Guanacaste was once known as Finca Lombardia. In 2020, amid the uncertainty of the pandemic, the producer, Rodolfo Ruffatti, inherited the farm and decided to give it a new name—and a new purpose. He named it after the Guanacaste tree, a majestic native species that symbolizes resilience and connection to the land.
The Guanacaste (from the Nahuatl word Huanacaxtle) is one of Central America’s great shade trees—massive, deep-rooted, and life-giving. It stores water underground during the rainy season and releases it slowly through its surface roots and leaves in the dry months, sustaining the ecosystem around it. In El Salvador, people are often called “Guanacos”, a name that recalls the tradition of gathering under these trees for rest and shade. The farm’s new name is both a tribute to this heritage and a statement of purpose: to restore native forest and make agriculture regenerative again.

Finca Guanacaste stands in a region where many coffee farms have been abandoned due to low prices and rising costs. When farms are left behind, shade trees are often cut down for firewood, the land burned, and maize planted instead—causing deforestation, erosion, and loss of rural employment. Against this backdrop, Guanacaste remains one of the last coffee farms in the area providing full-time work and protecting a living forest.

Every dry season, wildfires burn across the bare hills surrounding the farm, but the team at Guanacaste works tirelessly to protect its tree canopy and the springs that depend on it. These natural springs supply water not only to the farm, but also to neighboring families who lack public water access—a daily reminder that trees mean life.
That’s why we carry the tree in our name. Finca Guanacaste is more than a coffee farm—it’s an agroforestry project, a commitment to regeneration and to proving that farming with trees is the way forward. Alongside coffee, we are planting cacao, hibiscus, and bamboo, building a diverse and resilient ecosystem for the future.

The coffee you’re tasting today comes from Arabica–Canephora hybrids planted by Rodolfo’s father—early precursors to the Hybrida Project developed by the non-profit Advance.Coffee. This initiative works to create new hybrid varieties that resist disease, withstand climate stress, and deliver exceptional cup quality. Each year, new Hybrida plants
are introduced to the farm, ensuring that Finca Guanacaste continues to evolve—rooted in heritage, growing toward the future.

Because coffee, like the Guanacaste tree, is a long-term act of hope—one that gives life, shade, and purpose for generations to come.

Espresso
Beverage ratio 1:2.6

Example with 18g baskets

18g freshly ground coffee
48g coffee to drink in the cup (2 x 24g)

20 to 25 seconds of extraction depending on your personal preference.

If the coffee tastes astringent, try a faster extraction time or use softer water.

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