Costa Rica Finca El Venado SL-28

COUNTRY: Costa Rica
REGION: West Valley
FARM: Finca El Venado
VARIETY: SL-28
PROCESS: White Honey
ELEVATION: 1200-1900 M
CUPPING NOTES: Green Grape, Lime, Caramel

     The West Valley of Costa Rica is both complex in microclimates, varieties cultivated, and therefore, cup profile. Many of the winners of the Cup of Excellence have come from the West Valley. Notably, the Bourbon mutation Villa Sarchi was discovered in this region, and Kenya varieties such as SL-28 and San Roque are commonly grown. The micromills at high elevation experience cooler weather than the rest of the country, resulting in high sugar production within the cherries and high-quality offerings.
     Cerro San Luis Micromill is a family business run by two siblings Alexander and Magali Delgado and their spouses, who own and operate two farms and a small mill in Grecia, in the West Valley. In the interest of improving their quality and remaining competitive, they have focused on growing different varieties, and about 4 years ago they replaced their older stock with 10 or more different types of coffee, including Caturra, Red and Orange Bourbon, SL-28, Catuai, Villa Sarchi, and Maragogype.
   The family's farms are adjacent to one another, but the plots are given separate names for lot separation purposes, and the mill is located at the family home, just a few miles away.
     After harvesting, the cherry is brought right to the family home, where they are able to do a variety of different processes, from washed and honeys to natural. As is common at mills in Costa Rica, at Cerro San Luis the type of honey is decided by how much mucilage is left on the coffee after depulping.
   This SL-28 variety (developed and most popularly grown in Kenya) from their farm Finca El Venado was processed using the White Honey process.  The White Honey process is a specific process developed by Cerro San Luis Micromill. Freshly harvested and sorted cherries are delivered to the mill and promptly depulped. After this, the coffee is placed directly onto raised beds for a few days at a minimal thickness and then transferred to a covered patio where it is turned regularly until the drying process is complete.
     The resulting cup profile is sparkling and sweet with notes of green grape, lime and caramel.  Don't miss this truly delicious and unique offering!