Received 04/16/2013

Costa Rican CoopePalmares Micro Lot

Roast Color: Medium
Prep: Washed and kiln-dried
Body: Light-Medium
Flavor Profile: Bright, substantial milk chocolate sweetness, caramelized sugar and toasted almonds
Cupping Notes: The dry fragrance is exceptionally mellow with a milk chocolate quality, alongside a faint, almost indiscernible hint of sassafras and spice. Once brewed, the bright and snappy cup reveals the washed, sorted, first-world coffee that it is.

Coffee cultivation in Costa Rica is a truly generational affair. This small Central American nation-state is among the most peaceful and developed in that region of the world. With no standing army, the whole of the Costa Rican economy is based around tourism and agriculture. Products such as coffee - along with bananas and pineapples - are the most important cash crops to the Costa Rican economy. A beautiful symbiosis occurs here, wherein banana trees provide shade for the coffee plants and predictable rainfall ensures a consistent crop from season-to-season. This is why coffee from here is considered among the most balanced and enjoyable in the world.

This Costa Rican Monte Crisol from CoopePalmares is a washed-mild, kiln-dried coffee. While many lots are being sun-dried in the African style, this Costa Rican coffee is exquisitely balanced and clean, utilizing highly-refined, first-world cultivation and washing methods. This coffee is clean and light in character, embodying the best of what can be accomplished when modern farm communities utilize ecologically sound, forward-thinking processing practices. This is an incredibly clean coffee, clear with the round flavors of milk chocolate and dark berries. When hot, the coffee is crisp, with a malted chocolate character that is deceptively sweet. As the cup cools, the flavor develops a more nutty and robust character. A strong, distinct taste saturates the cup.

This is the first of our Costa Rican Micro Lot coffee to be featured this year. This is a stunning example of micro-lot attention to detail in processing. I highly recommend it.