Las Lajas

ORIGIN
Coffee was planted in Costa Rica in the late 1700s but it was not until the 1820s that coffee became a major agricultural export for the country. Although Costa Rica contributes less than 1% of the world’s coffee production today, it has a strong reputation for producing excellent coffee. All year round, there is a unique tropical microclimate in the mountainous terrain of the West Valley blessed with nutrient rich volcanic soils where the region is well known for its high percentage of Cup of Excellence winners. Producers in the Central Valley often grow traditional varieties and apply some of Costa Rica’s most forward-thinking processing techniques due to the many micro-mills in the region.

PRODUCER
Third generation coffee producers, Oscar and Francisca Chacón, are both committed to quality and innovation and are among the very first farmers in Costa Rica to produce honey and natural process specialty coffee on their farm, Finca Las Lajas. After years of delivering their cherry to a cooperative for the going market price, they decided to join the ‘micro-mill revolution’ and buy their own de-pulper. Now, the Chacons produce a wide range of honey-process coffees, modulating the drying time to create different aroma and taste profiles in the cup.

Necessity bred even more innovation when an earthquake in 2008 wiped out electricity and water to their area during the harvest. Unable to run the de-pulpers or to wash the mucilage off to produce washed lots, Francisca took inspiration from her knowledge of African coffee production and quickly built raised beds on the property. Sourced through our friends at Café Imports, this white Honey process of Caturra and Catuai varieties is a specific process where freshly harvested and sorted cherries are promptly de-pulped. After this, the coffee is placed directly onto raised beds for a few days at a minimal thickness and then transferred to a covered patio where it is turned regularly until the drying process is complete.

ROAST
The diverse range of different methods from Costa Rica has a special place in our hearts and this white honey process coffee is no exception! Omni-roasted to be brewed across a range of methods, including espresso, we love the super creamy mouthfeel in the cup. You can expect a fruit like sweetness, rich toffee notes and a pecan nuttiness in the finish.