Country: Costa Rica
Region: Tarrazú
Varietal: Caturra, Catuai
Farm: La Falda
Process: “Double Pass”
Altitude: 1,700 MASL
Cupping Notes: Blackberry, Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut, Lemonade
Recommended Roast:City to Full City
Good For: Auto Drip, Pour Over, Espresso

Description: This Coffee is produced in San Ignacio de Acosta, two hours away from San José (the countries’ Capital) at a farm called “La Falda”. La Falda translates to skirt in Spanish and the name is due to the topography of the farm, where coffee plantations wrap around a small mountain looking like a skirt. The owner “Miguel Diaz” inherited the farm from his dad recently, even though he is on his early 30’s, he has gathered the best knowledge from his predecessor, and has taken on new practices recommended by engineers. 

Four years ago, Palmichal-Micro Mill took the decision to process La Falda Farm in its micro-mill due to its pristine location, farm practices and commitment to harvesting only the ripest cherries. After years of working together Palmichal has been able to evaluate La Falda’s consistency in its cup year after year. The esteemed mill and farm plan to continue in their relationship, developing not only more business every year, but also continue improving quality. 

Hunting is illegal in Costa Rica, and Miguel has a serious commitment to keep illegal hunting away from his land. At La Falda you’ll find a variety of wildlife like rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, tons of birds, and more.

This coffee was processed in a method dubbed “Double Pass” by Diego Guardia (of Palmichal and Sonora). It began drying as a natural, after two days it was brought back into the wet mill where it was pulped and 60% of the mucilage remained in the bean during drying. Then the coffee was dried in African beds for 10 days and drying was finalized in a drum drier for better uniformity in humidity levels. After the coffee rested in parchment for two months it was dry milled and sorted by weight, density, size and color. 

We love seeing Palmichal taking the risk of trying these experimental processes and seeing the results in the cup. This one cups most similarly to a natural Costa Rican, with notes of Blackberry, Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut, and Lemonade.