On the first sip, we are greeted with mild acidity and freshly peeled mandarin. The body is rich toffee, all encapsulated in a structured finish, creating balance with each sip.

Roast Level

• Coffee Details

  Producer

  Jose Eladio Alvarado Abarca

  Country

  Costa Rica

  Region

  Rivas, Chirripo

  Cultivar

  Caturra, Catuai
  

  Years of Purchase

  Two years
  

  Process

  White Honey

  Elevation

  1700-1950 Meters

  Harvest

  January-February

  Tasting Notes

  Mandarin, Toffee, Structured

  Brew Method

  Kalita Wave
  

  Brew Recipe

  Ratio: 1:17
  Coffee: 22 grams
  Water: 374 grams
  

• Farmlevel Story

  Farmlevel

  Home to and name for the tallest mountain in Costa Rica, Chirripo is not historically a specialty coffee-growing region. This is one of the least traveled coffee sectors in Costa Rica with its rocky slopes and ‘end of the road’ feel.

  Jose Eladio Alvarado Abarca inherited his 19-hectare farm ‘El Higueron’ from his grandfather in 2010. Just in time for the Micro Mill revolution, Jose began seeing the prices for coffee were so low that he was unable to properly attend to his farm and the growing needs for quality. In 2014 Jose and his wife Annie opened their Mill, Imperio Rojo. This investment brought down the cost of production and assisted in the improvement of their quality. With the profits of the past six years, Imperio Rojo has invested in a dry mill and raised beds and is looking forward to doing some variety of experimentation in the years to come.