Costa Rica La Estrella Tarrazu microlot

About Costa Rica La Estrella Tarrazu microlot

New crop arrived July 2016. This will be our main selection from Costa Rica for this crop year. We are pleased, once again, to offer this fantastic coffee from Costa Rica for another season. This past April we were able to visit the Los Angeles micromill where the coffee is processed, and the facilities were very impressive. They run a very clean and tight operation which is evident in the final product. The Calderon family greeted us warmly and gave us the tour of the mill. It was great to finally get to see the mill with our own eyes after being such fans of this coffee for many years. We first discovered this coffee a handful of years ago while at origin. During one of the cuppings a coffee just popped out from the rest as the dominant coffee on the table. We wanted it immediately and found out that a small quantity was available. At that point we didn't know much about the farm, other than the coffee itself wowwed us. We came to learn the farm was called La Estrella, translated in English to "The Star", which is quite fitting for such a stand out coffee. We bought the entire amount available that year and have continued to purchase it ever since.

Located in the Tarrazu region in the town of Santa Maria de Dota, this tiny 12 acre farm sits at the very high elevation of 1950 meters, well over 6000 feet. The La Estrella farm is owned by the Calderon family. They operate their own Los Angeles wetmill so they control every aspect of the coffee from growing to processing.

Luis Ricardo Calderon received this 4 hectares property from his father about 18 years ago with the aim of having a coffee farm. In 1999, Luis Ricardo and his wife, Lourdes Castillo, started sowing the land. Lourdes helped with the administration of their few goods and their sons helped with the farm labors. Coffee began producing in the ensuing years and, until a few years ago, the Calderons sold their production to a large local wetmill where it was merged with coffee cherry being collected from other area farms. Then the Calderons decided to install their own micromill, and their efforts resulted in coffee separately grown, processed and identified as theirs alone. The coffee was entered into the competition where it was vetted first by a national, and later an international jury. The rest, they say, is history.

In the 2011 Cup of Excellence auction coffee of this origin sold for $20 a pound unroasted, putting it well above $40 a pound once exported and roasted. It attained a jury score of 90.38 points making it a Presidential Award winner. All of the 2011 auction winning lot was sold to roasters in Japan and Taiwan. We are fortunate to have begun this new relationship with the Calderons and look forward to more from them in the years ahead. And, at our price, this coffee is a real value.

• Name - Los Angeles La Estrella microlot
• Varietal - Catuai
• Farm - La Estrella
• Micromill - Los Angeles (on the farm)
• Region - Tarrazu
• Micro region - Santa Maria de Dota
• Altitude - 1900 to 1950 meters
• Awards - 1st place Cup of Excellence 2011

The Calderon owned Los Angeles micromill also processes coffee for several other very local growers.

Cup Characteristics: Very complex, multi-dimensional, viscous cup. Pear, floral notes, strawberry-rhubarb, mango. Bright, lively and exceedingly elegant. Creamy texture, structured, buttery. Long finish.

Roasting Notes: This very high grown coffee is hard and dense, and, can withstand considerable heat. This coffee is best nearing or just beginning second crack. If roasting on a Behmor we would suggest P1.