Costa Rica – Las Lajas

Country of origin: Costa Rica

Producer: Las Lajas Perla Negra, Oscar & Francisca Chacón

Region: Sabanilla de Poas

Altitude: 1500 m

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai, Villa Sarchi

Processing method: Natural / Perla Negra

Notes: blueberries, mango, melon, honey sweetness

Las Lajas is one of Costa Rica’s best-known processing stations, especially among specialty coffee circles, and is renowned for its unique and exceptional coffee drying and processing techniques.

Located in the Sabanilla region, near Poas Volcano, Las Lajas is run by Oscar and Francisca Chacón. The processing station was established to produce organically certified coffee, and their passion for coffee led them to experiment with multiple “honey” processes, which involve dry depulping followed by drying on raised beds in the shade.

The “Perla Negra” microlot represents the station’s finest natural process. The perfectly ripe coffee cherries are turned only a few times a day during drying, resulting in a complex and delicate coffee with a spectacular aromatic profile, like an explosion of exotic fruit and spices.