Pacamara

Pacamara was created in El Salvador in 1958 by crossing Pacas — a Bourbon dwarf mutation — with Maragogype, the giant-bean Typica mutation.

The beans

Visibly enormous, larger than any other common variety, and the first thing you notice opening a bag.

That size matters practically: large beans roast differently, with a greater risk of the outside developing faster than the inside, so roasters adjust their profiles for them.

The cup

At its best: complex and unusual, with tropical and stone fruit, herbal and savoury notes, chocolate, and a heavy syrupy body. It regularly wins Cup of Excellence competitions in Central America.

At its worst: vegetal, thin and unremarkable.

Why it varies so much

Pacamara is genetically unstable. Plantings do not breed true in the way established varieties do, so trees within a lot can differ noticeably.

That instability is why the variety produces both the extraordinary and the ordinary, sometimes from the same farm. It also means a Pacamara that impressed you once may not repeat.

Where it grows

El Salvador principally, plus Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. It needs high altitude to express itself; grown low it is unremarkable.

Brewing it

Filter, light to medium roast. Its complexity rewards a clean brewer, and its body means it also works in an immersion.

Because the beans are so large, they can behave unexpectedly in a grinder — expect to adjust from your usual setting, sometimes by more than you would think.