Gogmagog
The tale of the last known giant of Albion
According to British legend, Gogmagog was the last survivor of a mythical race of giants that ruled the island of Albion before the arrival of Brutus of Troy and his Trojan followers. Geoffrey of Monmouth, in The Historia Regum Britanniae (‘The History of the Kings of Britain’) written about 1136, tells the story of how the Trojans came into conflict with Gogmagog and the giants of Albion.
After Brutus and the Trojans arrived they explored the island and found it very much to their liking. Individually, the giants were much bigger and for the most part stronger than the Trojans. Only Corineus, one of the Trojan captains, could match them. However, there were only twenty-four of them and they could not match the Trojan weaponry, armour, and numbers, and the Trojans battled the giants seeking to claim Albion as their own.
One day, Brutus decided to hold a festival of thanksgiving to the gods. During the festival, with many games and events underway, Gogmagog and the giants launched an attack hoping to take the Trojans by surprise. Although the giants at first had the upper hand killing many, Brutus rallied his men and in the battle all of the giants, except their leader Gogmagog, were killed. He was spared by Brutus specifically to fight Corineus, who defeated him.
With Albion now free of giants, Brutus shared out the land among his captains and followers as he saw fit. In legend, Brutus became the founder and first king of Britain and Corineus became the founder and first ruler of Cornwall.
Although Gogmagog was killed, he was to return centuries later during the Norman Conquest of Britain by King William the Conqueror. This story is told in the medieval legends or “ancestral romance” of The History of Fulk Fitz-Warine, a mixture of legend, romance, and imagination by an unknown author or compiler in about 1325-40.
Coffee Lot Details
This single origin from El Salvador is processed at the renowned El Borbollón mill, where tradition meets innovation. The Alvarez family, alongside head cupper Luis Rodriguez, have carefully blended harvests from 19 farms across the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range, many nestled on the slopes of the Santa Ana volcano. Each farm is RFA certified, reflecting a commitment to both quality and sustainability.
After being delivered to the mill in cherry, the coffee is washed and floated to separate by quality, before being pulped and left to ferment overnight. The following day, the beans are washed again in fresh water and prepared for the patios, where they’ll spend 8–10 days drying in the sun. El Borbollón are also experimenting with extended drying techniques — covering the beans at intervals to coax out deeper complexity in the cup.
Once dried, the parchment coffee rests for six weeks before being hulled. From here, a dedicated team of around 40 women hand-sort every batch, paid above minimum wage for their precision and skill. Only once the final defects are removed are the beans sealed in GrainPro and jute bags, ready to make their way across the world.
The result? A coffee that carries both the craft of its people and the character of its land — layered, nuanced, and unmistakably El Salvador.
Tasting notes
Elevation
1300-1400 masl
Varietal
Red Bourbon
Process
Washed
