El Salitre

This coffee was cultivated at Finca El Salitre by Johnny Alvarado Abarca and processed at his family’s micromill, Corazon de Jesus. The micromill was founded by the Alvarado’s family in 2015 and has made significant improvements since opening. They’ve even placed some of their coffees in the Cup of Excellence finals. This specific lot is bursting with tropical fruit and pomegranate with a bright but balanced acidity.

The trees are selectively handpicked and only ripe, red cherry is delivered to their micromill, where it is laid to dry on raised beds and is raked frequently to ensure evenness. It takes approximately 10 to 20 days for the cherry to dry completely. Once dry, the coffee rests in its dried cherry for approximately 2 months before being dry milled and prepared for export.  

The rise of micro-mill processing, in itself, is a relatively recent development in Costa Rica. 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.

Origin: Costa Rica
Region: Chirripo
Farm: El Salitre
Producer: Johnny Alvarado Abarca & family
Variety: Catuai
Process: Natural