Familia Salazar - Los Cipreses
With a clear purpose, and to honor the legacy of Los Cipreses' original founder Don Danilo Salazar Arias, in 2022 we decided together to rename Cristian's coffees. Now, all three brothers grow coffee together under one name — Familia Salazar - Los Cipreses—as a tribute to their father.
For over four decades, the Salazar family sold their coffee to local cooperatives, with traditional practices. But in 2018, the volatility of the commercial market led them to rethink their approach. Driven by a desire for stability and growth, they began exploring the international market and partnered with 100LIBRAS. When I had the chance to visit their farm, I was struck by the incredible attention to detail in their processing protocols, and I can confidently say their wet mill is one of the cleanest and most meticulously maintained I’ve ever seen. Yes, these are bold words, but the coffee speaks for itself.
The Milenio H10 variety is a high-yielding coffee with strong rust resistance and excellent quality, thriving at elevations above 1,300 meters.
How I discovered Los Cipreses?
Although the Salazar family was new to me in 2019, I discovered their coffee on a blind cupping table and in my opinion they are producing one of the greatest and most aromatic Caturras and SL28, I've ever tasted in West Valley. With their recent success after participating in CoE, Cristian invested in a micro mill for the farm - Beneficio San Cristóbal. As few in the area, Cristian and Greivan don’t use herbicides and weeds are controlled with mulching instead of chemical sprays.
Varieties & Processes
Cristian and his brother Greivan are growing a list of varieties such as SL28, Gesha, Caturra, Rume Sudan, Milenio, but most importantly they have developed strong protocols which are resulting in high places in national Cup of Excellence auctions. In my opinion, they have nailed one of the most interesting varieties - Milenio H10 - A first-generation F1 hybrid originating from a cross between rust-resistant T5296 and Ethiopian landrace Rume Sudan. I've tried many versions of Milenio processing method, but honey process proved to be the most defined choice.
Los Cipreses
If you can imagine an almost perfect place to live - it's definitely Naranjo, located in West Valley. West Valley, which is influenced by Pacific weather patterns and is consequently dryer than the Central Valley, is producing a different coffee profiles in my opinion. Located at higher altitude with mild climate but strong winds and stunning view on Pacific Ocean, it's a micro-climate where specific varieties have matured at a slower pace with nicer body and texture, in general. The business is named after the cypress trees grown on a partnered farm that are sold as Christmas trees every December.
The Milenio H10 variety is a high-yielding coffee with strong rust resistance and excellent quality, thriving at elevations above 1,300 meters.
