Costa Rica | Cerro San Luis

What this coffee feels like:

You reach into the cupboard for a snack and find a forgotten bag of nougat behind the cereal. You take one piece, then another, then somehow you’re sitting on the kitchen floor at 11pm finishing the whole thing — zero regrets, full heart, already planning where to buy more.

There's a reason why some of our lots are coming back to our portfolio. This coffee is consistent, giving and has that sensation that fills your pallet with flavour. Cerro San Luis Micromill is a family business run by two siblings Alexander and Magali Delgado and their spouses, who own and operate both farms and a small mill in Grecia, in the West Valley. In the interest of improving their quality and remaining competitive, they have focused on growing different varieties, and about 4 years ago they replaced their older stock with 10 or more different types of coffee, including Caturra, Red and Orange Bourbon, SL-28, Catuai, Villa Sarchi, and Maragogype. 

The West Valley of Costa Rica is both complex in microclimates, varieties cultivated, and therefore, cup profile. Many of the winners of the Cup of Excellence have come from the West Valley. Notably, the Bourbon mutation Villa Sarchi was discovered in this region, and Kenya varieties such as SL-28 and San Roque are commonly grown. The micromills at high elevation experience cooler weather than the rest of the country, resulting in high sugar production within the cherries and high-quality offerings.

The family's farms are adjacent to one another, but the plots are given separate names for lot separation purposes, and the mill is located at the family home, just a few miles away.

After harvesting, the cherry is brought right to the family home, where they are able to do a variety of different processes, from washed and honeys to natural. As is common at mills in Costa Rica, at Cerro San Luis the type of honey is decided by how much mucilage is left on the coffee after depulping.

Freshly harvested and sorted cherries are delivered to the mill and promptly depulped. After this, the coffee is placed directly onto raised beds for a few days and then transferred to a covered patio where it is turned regularly until the drying process is complete. Although this offering is not traceable to a single variety, it is likely comprised of Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Villa Sarchi, Villalobos, Sarchimor, Venecia, and Costa Rica 95 — the most commonly cultivated varieties in this region.

We fell in love with this cup for its versitality. It will work well as filter but it shines as an espresso with low acidity, medium to full body and sugary sweetness.

Region: West Valley

Producer: Cerro San Luis

Altitude: 1200-1900m

Variety: common Costa Rican varieties

Process: yellow honey

Taste notes: nougat, apples and pears

WEIGHT: 250g

Please note that 250g bags can be shipped in kava boxes as an additional option. All grind sizes are approximate and in relation to the equipment we use. Grind size or setting might differ from your equipment preferences. If not certain order beans as we can't accept returns for pre-ground coffees. Thank you for understanding.