Caturra – Washed: Aquiares Estate

Origin: Costa Rica
Region:  Turrialba
Producer: Diego Robelo
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1200 meters

Founded in 1890, Aquiares Estate is one of the largest coffee producers in Costa Rica, but it’s more of a community than just a farm. At the heart of the estate lies the town of Aquiares, home to nearly 2,000 residents. In an effort to encourage homeownership, the farm provided bonuses to workers and assisted them in applying for loans. As a result, over 96% of the workers own their homes. Aquiares is also a pioneer in sustainable coffee farming. Their farming practices are holistic, focusing on ecological principles to enhance soil and plant health. They’ve planted over 50,000 shade trees, dedicated 20% of the land to conservation, and are certified as carbon-neutral. The farm also conducts research to advance the coffee industry, even developing new hybrid coffee varieties. One of their innovations is the “Varieties Garden,” where they test different coffee types for both resilience and flavor. One standout is the Centroamericano, a hybrid of the Ethiopian Rume Sudan and the Central American Sarchimor. This is our sixth year purchasing the Centroamericano from Aquiares and have tried each of the processing methods along the way. In the cup this coffee is bright and zesty with notes of citrus almond and chocolate with a honeysuckle sweetness.