Orlando Aguilar, El Salvador

About this coffee

Orlando is a coffee grower from La Palma, El Salvador, producing exceptional coffee on his farm, Buenavista. His journey into the coffee world began at the remarkably young age of 14, inspired by his older brothers to follow in their footsteps and cultivate coffee. Driven by a deep curiosity and a collaborative spirit, Orlando has built his success by continually seeking knowledge and connecting with fellow producers for guidance. More recently, he’s been exploring fermentation techniques—most notably, Honey processing. This method gained prominence after a major earthquake in Costa Rica in 2008 led to government-imposed water restrictions, which impacted the traditional, water-intensive washed process. In response, local producers began experimenting with alternatives, giving rise to Honey processing: a hybrid method that removes the skin and pulp of the coffee cherry but leaves some or all of the sticky, honey-like mucilage on the bean during drying. When done well, this approach can yield remarkable results, adding meaningful value to a producer’s lot. In the early years of Seven Seeds, El Salvador featured prominently on our menu. While that’s changed over time for a variety of reasons, our sourcing team is now focused on rekindling old partnerships and bringing more coffees from this vibrant origin back into the spotlight. Orlando’s lot is a beautiful example of what thoughtful farming and fermentation can achieve—striking a harmonious balance between flavour and texture.