Costa Rica
Solis & Black Honey
Origin: Costa Rica
Region: Los Santos
Town: Dota
Estate/Farm: Solis&Cordero Micromill
Altitude: 1750 masl
Varietal: Red Catuai
Processing: Black Honey
Harvest: October-March
Grade: SHB
Cupping Notes: Black Tea Citrus fruit Chocolate Tropical Fruit chocolate and plum
Medium Light roast
Introducing the Costa Rica Solis & Cordero Black Honey Red Catuai, sourced from the Los Santos region in the town of Dota. Grown on the Solis & Cordero Micromill estate at an altitude of 1750 masl, this coffee is made from the rare Red Catuai varietal and processed using the unique Black Honey method. The harvest season runs from October to March, and the coffee is graded as SHB. With cupping notes of black tea, citrus fruit, chocolate, and tropical fruit, this coffee promises a rich and complex flavor profile.
Estate information;
Ivan Solis Rivera considers himself fortunate to have a family that inspires him to do what he loves best: cultivate great coffee. He purchased Finca Vara Blanca in 2020 and has been dedicated to producing high-quality specialty coffees ever since. He continues to be innovative and flexible in his processes and methods to ensure he’s always producing the highest quality coffees possible.
Solis&Cordero Micromill was founded in 2018 by the Solís Cordero family to help support smallholders in the Santos region. The mill provides a variety of services including cherry processing, selling specialty coffee to international destinations, selling roasted coffee in Costa Rica, consulting on processing and quality control, and export services. For smallholders working with Solis&Cordero, the mill helps them differentiate their coffee by maintaining farm-level traceability and by using innovative, quality-focused processing methods to further improve coffee.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Ripe, red cherry is selectively handpicked and delivered to Solis&Cordero Micromill. At intake, cherry is inspected and pulped. Parchment and remaining mucilage is transferred to raised drying beds to dry for 6 to 7 days. Parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying. After 6 to 7 days, parchment is finished in drum dryers at 45 degrees Celsius until it reaches 10% moisture content
The country's coffee
- 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.