Costa Rica Black Moon Farmlevel Reserve

This rare Villa Sarchí lot showcases an experimental “Black Moon” process developed by Francisco Mena and his team, resulting in extraordinary complexity and syrupy sweetness. Layered fermentations and black honey-style drying bring out a vibrant expression of citric, nutty, and fruit-forward flavors that redefine Costa Rican Coffee.

Francisco Mena is a renowned figure in the coffee industry and a long-time Farmlevel partner whose coffees appear on our menu year after year. His coffees are known for their consistently balanced profiles and remarkable flavor clarity. He is also the co-founder of Exclusive Coffees, an exporter dedicated to representing smallholder-farmers through direct trade partnerships. The company provides education on specialty-tier quality standards and grading, empowering farmers to consistently produce premium coffee. Francisco leads with deep respect for both his team and the craft, a quality we find deeply inspiring. This particular lot is a standout example of how their team balances innovation with tradition.

The “Black Moon” processed Villa Sarchí variety takes its name from an experimental method developed during a moment of solar alignment with Venus. It begins with hand-harvested ripe cherries, which are packed into small bags and then collected into large tanks. Over 36 hours, the sugars in the cherries feed microbes that begin the fermentation process. After this, the cherries are carefully de-pulped to leave most of the mucilage intact, in the “black honey” style. The coffee undergoes a second, six-day fermentation in unsealed tanks before being washed and slowly dried on raised beds. This layered fermentation adds a complex sweetness and syrupy body, while preserving the bright citric and nutty notes that define Costa Rican coffee. A rare and expressive take on Villa Sarchí that offers a new dimension to Costa Rican coffee.