Scholar's Circle (Limited Edition Coffees)

Aristophanes

February Scholar Circle — El Salvador
From the Hill of Frogs

Cupping Notes

Bright lemonade acidity • praline sweetness • clean, balanced finish

Origin: Apaneca, Ahuachapán, El Salvador
Producer: Jose Antonio Salaverria (JASAL)
Process: Honey (Pulped Natural)
Roast: Medium
Altitude: 1450–1780 MASL
Varietals: Bourbon, Pacamara, Sarchimor, Pacas, Catuai, Caturra

In The Frogs, Aristophanes imagines Athens in a cultural crisis. Nothing feels solid. Nothing feels worth believing in. So Dionysus does something radical: he goes looking for excellence where others have stopped looking—guided only by a chorus of frogs croaking “Brekekekex koax koax.”

In western El Salvador, at **Cerro Las Ranas—the Hill of Frogs—**there’s a different chorus. Thousands of frogs thrive on land stewarded by Jose Antonio Salaverria and his sons, and that’s not a charming coincidence. Frogs are brutally honest indicators of ecosystem health. If they’re thriving, everything else is too.

That kind of stewardship shows up in the cup.

The Salaverrias’ honey process is all judgment and no shortcuts: harvesting only at peak ripeness, drying mucilage-coated beans on clay patios, turning them constantly so sweetness develops without losing clarity. This is work that rewards attention, patience, and experience—three virtues currently in short supply.

The result is a coffee that doesn’t shout to get your attention. Bright lemonade acidity opens the cup, praline sweetness carries it through, and a clean structure holds everything in balance. It’s the rare coffee that stays interesting without demanding effort—layered, thoughtful, and quietly confident.

Which is why we named it Aristophanes.

Not for novelty’s sake, but as a reminder that discernment still matters. That careful work still shows. And that sometimes, when the world feels a little noisier and a little duller than it should, the best guide back to quality is listening closely—to the people who refuse to cut corners, and yes, occasionally, to the frogs.

The February Scholar Circle

Each month, the Scholar Circle features a single coffee chosen for clarity of place, process, and character.

Aristophanes is the February selection.
It will be available through the end of the month.

Take Part in February’s Scholar Circle

Drink thoughtfully. The chorus approves.