Costa Rica -Finca Los Tonos - Milenio - Natural

TASTING: PLUM, JUICY, DARK CHOCOLATE

FARM/COOP/STATION: Finca Los Tonos

VARIETAL: Milenio

PROCESSING: Natural

ALTITUDE: 1,300 meters above sea level

REGION: Brunca

This coffee was cultivated at Finca Los Tonos by Johnny Alvarado Abarca and processed at his family’s micromill, Corazon de Jesus. The micromill was founded by the Alvarado Fonseca family in 2015 and has made significant improvements since opening. They’ve even placed some of their coffees in the Cup of Excellence finals. The mill processes a range of methods including Fully washed, Natural, Honey and a variety of anaerobic processes.  

Cherry is selectively handpicked and ripe, red cherry is delivered to the Corazon de Jesus micromill. Cherry is laid to dry on raised beds and is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 10 to 20 days for cherry to dry. Once dry, cherry rests for approximately 2 months before being dry milled and prepared for export.  

Thanks to tireless innovations, the sheer number of coffee varieties, extensive technical knowledge and attention to coffee production, Costa Rica is one of the most advanced coffee producing countries in Central America.

The climatic conditions in the country also play a role in the high quality of coffee produced. There are eight coffee regions: Guanacaste, West Valley, Turrialba, Valle Central (Central Valley), Tres Rios, Brunca, Orosi, and Tarrazú, a specific part of Valle Central.

Costa Rica has also become a world leader in traceability and sustainability in coffee production. Ninety percent of the country’s 50,000 coffee farmers are smallholders, and today, many deliver their cherry to boutique micro-mills that often process cherries according to producer specs to retain single-lot or single-farm qualities.

The rise of micro-mill processing, in itself, is a relatively recent development. Prior to the early 2000s it was common for smaller producers to deliver their cherry to cooperative-owned mills. As lucrative specialty markets developed, more and more farmers began establishing mills on their own farms, giving them increased control over processing and more assurance of the ‘traceability story’ so important to the growing market segment. Mills with excess capacity would then offer their services to neighboring farmers, offering a range of processing methods for small lots along with full traceability for roasters and importers. The system has enabled Costa Rica’s small to mid-sized coffee farmers to offer a wide range of differentiated products. Today, specialty lots from Costa Rica are almost as likely to bear the name of the micro-mill where they were processed as that of the producing farm.

The typically uncertain and dry weather patterns in Costa Rica make coffee farming more difficult. Long dry seasons and unpredictable weather patterns have virtually eliminated the possibility of organic farming. Nonetheless, both the government and farmers have taken active steps to protect the environment. Some of these restrictions also inform the processing methods for which Costa Rican coffee has become known.