tags: [] - coffee/varieties - coffee/geography/americas aliases: - Pacas coffee variety - Pacas Bourbon mutation

Pacas¶

Tags: #coffee/varieties #coffee/geography/americas Aliases: Pacas coffee variety, Pacas Bourbon mutation Related: Coffee Variety Families MOC | Bourbon Variety | Pacamara | El Salvador | Caturra Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

Pacas is a natural Coffea arabica mutation of Bourbon, discovered in 1949 on the Pacas family farm in Santa Ana, El Salvador. Like Caturra (a similar compact Bourbon mutation discovered in Brazil), Pacas exhibits a compact plant form — shorter internodes, smaller leaf size, and denser growth than Bourbon — allowing higher planting densities and consequently higher yields per hectare. Pacas is one of the most widely planted varieties in El Salvador and is best known internationally as one of the parent varieties of Pacamara (Pacas × Maragogipe). It produces a cup profile closely related to Bourbon, with the mild sweetness, fruit, and balanced character associated with high-altitude Central American Arabica.

Discovery¶

The Pacas mutation was identified by Fernando Alberto Pacas Figueroa on the Pacas family estate in the coffee-growing region of Santa Ana, El Salvador, in 1949. The compact plant appeared spontaneously within a Bourbon planting — a natural single-gene mutation producing the compact dwarfism phenotype. This same mutation has been identified independently in different locations (as Caturra in Brazil, Villa Sarchi in Costa Rica, and others), suggesting it is a recurring recessive mutation in the Bourbon lineage.

The mutation was selected and multiplied by the Pacas family, then formally studied and promoted by ISIC (Instituto Salvadoreño de Investigaciones del Café) through the 1950s and 1960s.

Characteristics¶

Parentage: Natural Bourbon mutation; single recessive gene controlling internode length and plant height
Plant size: Compact; shorter than Bourbon, similar to Caturra — allows planting at 3,000–5,000 plants per hectare compared to 1,500–2,500 for Bourbon
Yield: Higher than Bourbon per hectare due to increased planting density; individual plant yield may be similar or slightly lower
Disease resistance: Susceptible to coffee leaf rust; no specific resistance genes
Altitude: 800–1,600 m; best cup quality at higher elevations
Maturation: Normal to slightly late-maturing; red cherry

Cup Quality¶

Pacas cup quality closely mirrors Bourbon — not surprising given its genetic origin as a Bourbon mutation: - Acidity: Bright, pleasant, citrus and stone fruit character at altitude - Body: Medium, clean - Sweetness: Mild, sugary sweetness characteristic of the Bourbon family - Flavour: Stone fruit, red berry, mild chocolate; altitude-dependent complexity

Well-grown Pacas from El Salvador's Santa Ana volcano region or Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range achieves specialty-quality scores; it has featured in Cup of Excellence competition lots in El Salvador and neighbouring countries.

Relationship to Pacamara¶

Pacas's most significant contribution to global coffee variety genetics is as the compact parent in the Pacas × Maragogipe cross that produced Pacamara (released 1979). The Pacas parent contributes compact plant form and productive yield to the cross; Maragogipe contributes the extra-large bean size. Pacamara is now significantly more internationally recognised than Pacas itself, though Pacas remains widely planted in El Salvador.

Comparison with Caturra¶

Pacas and Caturra are genetically very similar — both are compact Bourbon mutations arising from what is believed to be the same or equivalent single-gene mutation. The principal differences are geographic origin (Pacas: El Salvador; Caturra: Brazil) and the specific genetic lineages of the founder plants. Cup quality and agronomic characteristics are closely parallel; neither has disease resistance.

Key Facts¶

Pacas is a natural Bourbon mutation discovered on the Pacas family farm, Santa Ana, El Salvador, in 1949; compact growth from a single recessive gene
Closely analogous to Caturra (Brazil), Villa Sarchi (Costa Rica) — all compact Bourbon mutations
Higher planting density (3,000–5,000 plants/ha) gives yield advantage over Bourbon; susceptible to leaf rust
Cup quality follows Bourbon lineage: bright acidity, stone fruit, mild sweetness, altitude-dependent complexity
Parent of Pacamara (Pacas × Maragogipe); most internationally known through its offspring variety

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-04-27	Note created

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