Pura Vida

Origin: Costa Rica

Region: Tarrazú

Process: Washed

Varietal: Caturra

Certification: Fairtrade Organic

Tasting notes: Smooth peanut butter and hickory with a full body and dry finish 

Costa Rica is credited with being the first country in Central America to commercially produce coffee, with the first shipments to the U.S. in 1860. The coffee sector has been vital in the development of Costa Rica’s infrastructure and economy.

This farmer grew up in a family of coffee producers and talks happily about spending her childhood playing with coffee beans instead of dolls. Now, she produces one of the finest coffees available on her estate Santa Elena in the highlands of Costa Rica’s most famous coffee-growing region, Tarrazú. This coffee is grown under shade, and the perfectly ripe cherries are hand-picked and sorted for quality at their mill. The cherries are then carefully de-pulped, washed, and dried slowly on the patios at Finca Santa Elena to fully develop acidity and depth of flavor. Additional care is given to her coffee in the “reposo” stage, resting in parchment for at least 30 days after drying before being milled and shipped.

Like many of our favorite growers, she takea a holistic approach to sustainability, minimizing synthetic inputs and utilizing a closed-loop fertilizing system that composts discarded coffee pulp using red-wiggler worms. The water treatment system meets the Costa Rican government’s high environmental standards and preserves the river’s cleanliness that flows through the estate. The estate offers seasonal employees outstanding housing, health care, and a state-of-the-art drinking water filtration system.

This coffee makes an outstanding espresso for those looking for deeper earth tones and thick crema.