Costa Rica

Altos

Ripe and elegant natural Catuai

This natural lot has a character of ripe blueberries, a high syrupy sweetness, and a finish with notes of milk chocolate and hazelnut.

This is our ninth year purchasing coffee from Mauricio Vindas in the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica.

Producer
Mauricio Vindas
Coffee expression
A sweet & rich coffee

Regular price: $25.00
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Sale price: $25.00
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Costa Rica

Altos

Altos del Abejonal sits at 1800 metres above sea level in the Tarrazu region, only 70 kilometres south of the Costa Rican capital San Jose. The Talamanca Sierra runs through the region, with peaks of above 3000 masl. The farm is also close to the regional capital of San Marcos, which sits at 1350 masl and is home to 9000 people, providing the hub to an area famous for its high quality coffee production. The volcanic soil and afternoon cloud cover in the region provides the perfect conditions for Mauricio to produce excellent coffees at Altos.

"This adds a controlled level of ferment character to the cup, just enough to reveal a character of ripe blueberries.."

Where Mauricio’s work really stands out is in processing. This is his naturally processed Catuai, the coffee that first led to our relationship with Altos. Ripe Catuai cherries are dried on raised beds over 21 days, turned often to avoid over fermentation. This adds a controlled level of ferment character to the cup, just enough to reveal a character of ripe blueberries, a high syrupy sweetness and a finish with notes of milk chocolate and hazelnut.

Natural Catuai

Mauricio

We first met Mauricio by chance. In March 2014 we were in Tarrazu, travelling around farms as guests of Exclusive Coffees, an exporter based in the region. After the last farm visit, our driver had to make a quick errand to see a friend, whose son had broken his hip and couldn’t leave home. The driver dropped off a gift for the boy, while we made conversation with his father. He was also a coffee farmer, and told us stories of his passion for coffee production and of how his son wanted to become a barista. We visited Altos again the next day, and bought our first couple of bags.

This is our ninth year purchasing coffee from Mauricio Vindas in the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica.

2023 is our ninth year buying coffees from Mauricio. On our visit to Exclusive’s cupping lab in San José in March, we cupped through this year’s Altos lots together with Mauricio Jr., who’s now a qualified cupper, and takes responsibility for much of the processing at the farm. The hard work and dedication shown by Mauricio and Mauricio Jr. at every stage of coffee production is obvious in the cup, and we are proud to showcase their work to so many of those who truly appreciate it.

Technical Data

Producer
Mauricio Vindas
Region
Tarrazu
Altitude
1800 masl
Varietal
Catuai
Process
Natural
Harvest
February 2023

Natural Process

The natural, or dry process, is the traditional process, going back generations. When accomplished in a controlled and careful manner, dry processed coffees can produce flavour experiences not found in wet processed coffees, deep fruits and florals, normally with heavier mouthfeel and lower acidity. The cherries are first sorted, and then laid out on in thin layers (2-6 cm) on raised drying beds. These are almost always used for high quality naturals, as they aid airflow around the coffee as it dries, enabling more even drying.

It is very important that coffees are sorted very carefully early on in the drying process, as all of the cherries quickly turn dark brown, making it impossible to separate under and overripe cherries. The cherries are turned frequently to avoid mold formation or over-fermentation, until they reach a moisture content of below 20%, and the outer cherry layer shrinks and blackens. This process takes between 2 and 4 weeks, depending on weather conditions.