The Area of the Saints

The heritage of this coffee is deeply tied to the Tarrazú region, globally revered as the "Area of the Saints". Coffee production here is not just an industry; it is a multi-generational way of life that dates back to the 19th century. The high-altitude valleys are flanked by the pristine Talamanca Mountain Range, creating isolated microclimates where high-elevation sunlight and cool mountain nights naturally extend the cherry ripening cycle. This slow maturation locks in dense organic compounds, defining the classic, premium Central American cup profile.

Pioneering Smallholder Cooperatives

The true legacy of this lot lies in the smallholder farming network of San Rafael. For generations, small family estates have collectively pooled their hand-harvested cherries into centralised micro-mills. This cooperative heritage ensures that meticulous quality control standards are maintained across every small plot of land. These families have spent decades perfecting the cultivation of heirloom Caturra and Catuai Arabica trees, selecting only the most resilient and flavour-dense botanical lineages to pass down to the next generation of farmers.

The Fully Washed Processing Legacy

This lot honours Costa Rica's historic fully washed processing traditions. The freshly picked cherries are brought to traditional wet mills where they are pulped using clean mountain spring waters. The beans then undergo a controlled fermentation process to cleanly remove the sticky fruit mucilage before they are spread evenly across sprawling, sun-drenched open patios. Hand-raked every hour under clear highland skies, this patient sun-drying method preserves absolute cup clarity, ensuring that the terroir's deep chocolate and dark stone-fruit heritage shines clearly without any muddy overtones.