Gilberto Baraona

los pirineos is a family-owned coffee farm in el salvador with over 100 years of continuous operation under the baraona family. gilberto baraona, who ran the farm until his death in 2020, was one of el salvador's most decorated specialty producers, accumulating 17 cup of excellence placements across his career, including two in the final 2020 competition. the farm focuses on high-quality microlots, with pacamara as a signature variety alongside bourbon and other cultivars suited to el salvador's growing conditions. baraona operated as both farmer and exporter, building direct commercial relationships with specialty roasters and green coffee importers internationally through coe auctions. those buyer relationships, established over many years, remain a core part of how los pirineos reaches the market. the farm employed more than 70 workers during baraona's tenure and paid above-standard wages, funded in part by coe auction premiums. the alliance for coffee excellence credited baraona with materially changing how specialty coffee in el salvador is perceived globally. buyers sourcing el salvador microlots, particularly pacamara, would find los pirineos a historically significant and well-documented origin.