You cupped, we listened. In 2018, we launched our Beneficio Rio Tarrazú (BRT) microlot program. We packed our bags with samples, hit the road, and set out to get feedback on our microlots from roasters across the country. Taking your likes and dislikes into account, we came out swinging for the 2018/19 harvest. A few crowd pleasers were brought back, like the Rancho Grande washed Red Bourbon, and a few were new to the scene, like the Lilo Caturra honey anaerobic fermentation lot (say that three times fast!).
We presented our BRT microlot selections to the fine roasters of Portland Oregon at Buckman Coffee Factory in May of 2019. We gave a presentation on coffee processing in Costa Rica at large mills and how the microlot program differs from the traditional process. We showed a Google Earth map of all the individual parcels on our two farms that provided the cherry for the microlots – Hacienda La Minita and Hacienda la Pradera. The two farms are on adjacent hillsides in the Tarrazú region. Even though the microlots were grown so close together, attendees were shocked by how different they tasted. Cuppers really loved the La Pradera Black Honey and the La Manga washed Hibrido Tico – both single variety coffees, immaculately processed from start to finish. We can’t wait for next year’s batch of BRT microlots.