Costa Rica Finca Aquiares - Don Alfonso - Fully Washed
Costa Rica Finca Aquiares - Don Alfonso - Fully Washed
In 2022 we attended the World of Coffee Conference in Milan where we cupped and bought a Red Honey processed Costa Rica that we made available 12 months ago.
At that conference in 2022 we cupped a selection of coffees with one of the owners of the Aquiares Estate. At the time wanted to buy a Fully Washed that was on the cupping table but sadly we were beaten to it as all of it had already been bought by another roaster.
This year we’re pleased to have got our hands on some!
This is a Fully Washed 100% Caturra from Don Alfonso Robelo.
This special ‘Don Alfonso’ coffee represents the best of the harvest from the famous Aquiares Estate in Turrialba, Costa Rica. ‘Don Alfonso’ coffees bear the name of Don Alfonso Robelo, patriarch of one of the owning families of the estate who took over farm management in 1992 and made the social welfare of farm workers and the wider community one of his main priorities. Don Alfonso is a true visionary: his son, Diego, follows in his father’s footsteps by taking the farm to new heights.
This coffee has all the notes we like in traditional Costa Rican coffees with a high quality finish/mouth feel.
It has sweet notes of Chocolate, Caramel, Black Tea and a hint of Green Apple.
It landed in late September so is very fresh.
We’ve added a little more information below.
This coffee works well black and also with milk.
Suitable for / Cafetiere, Filter, Aeropress and Espresso
Notes / Chocolate, Caramel, Black Tea and hint of Green Apple
Farm / Aquiares Estate
Producer / Robelo Family
Region / Turrialba
Altitude / 1,100 to 1,400 metres above sea level
Variety / Caturra
Process / Washed
Each ‘Don Alfonso’ lot has been specially developed and selected for our importers Mercanta by Diego (whose quality-driven vision is transforming the farm) and his team of coffee experts. Although Aquiares, being a large farm, produces a great deal of coffee annually, the ‘Don Alfonso’ line is unique to Mercanta and is the result of close partnership and strong communication between the coffee producer/exporter and coffee importer. We are proud to be able to offer these exceptional and unique lots. We are especially proud to consider Diego and his family our friends and partners in commitment to quality and bringing the best of Costa Rica to market.
Aquiares, one of Costa Rica’s largest and most historic coffee farms, sits high on the fertile slopes of Turrialba Volcano. Producing coffee continuously for over a century, the farm has developed an enduring model for growing high-quality Arabica coffee, protecting a stunning natural setting, and supporting a thriving local community of 1,800 people. Established by British farmers in 1890, Aquiares was one of the first estates to produce and export Costa Rican coffee. In 1971, the farm was purchased by its current owners - three families who have worked together with the farm ́s staff and community to implement a modern model of sustainable agriculture. Today, the Estate is the largest continuous coffee farm in Costa Rica, covering 924 hectares, 80% of which is planted under shade-grown Arabica.