Welcome to another edition of Field Notes! This month, we have info on new-crop Costa Rican coffees available now, plus an update from our farms and some highlights from our spot inventory.
Costa Rica in Stock Now
Summer is just around the corner and we’re in the height of arrivals season, with new coffees from Central America landing almost daily. With all these shipments coming in, we finally have a variety of coffee from Costa Rica in our spot inventory. In previous newsletters, we’ve shared that the harvest was quite low across much of the Los Santos region this year and that we expect these coffees to move quickly. This remains true – if there’s something you’re interested in, it’s a good idea to jump on it while you can. Here’s an overview of what we have available now.
Hacienda La Pradera RFA
Availability: CTI NJ, Annex
Hacienda La Pradera is a 181 hectare coffee farm located in the Los Santos region near Hacienda La Minita. La Pradera is primarily planted with the Caturra and Catuai varieties, but we also reserve sections of the farm for experimenting with new varieties. Like our other farms in Costa Rica, La Pradera is Rainforest Alliance Certified. The cup profile is a perennial favorite, bright with notes of orange, cherry, and brown sugar.
Hacienda Rio Negro RFA
Availability: CTI NJ (Natural), Annex (Washed)
Located near the border with Panama in the remote Coto Brus region, Hacienda Rio Negro represents a different side of Costa Rican coffee. The volcanic soil and warm climate produces a unique cup profile that is rich with cocoa, nutty, and citrus flavors. In addition to the main washed lot, we also have naturally-processed offering this year. The natural is intensely fruity, with notes of ripe berry and a nice sweetness.
El Indio
Availability: CTI NJ, Annex, Dupuy Houston, Costa Oro
Our smallholder-produced offering from producers near San Marcos, El Indio is a workhorse coffee that will serve a variety of roasting needs. We purchase cherry daily at our receiving stations around the area, then process it at Beneficio Rio Tarrazú to our strict quality standards. The result is a sweet, balanced cup with citrus and milk chocolate notes.
La Sonrisa
Availability: Annex, Dupuy Houston
La Sonrisa is our regional offering from small producers in Coto Brus, near Hacienda Rio Negro. Just as in Los Santos, we maintain the highest standards at our receiving stations and work with our producer partners to increase quality and productivity on their farms. This coffee is processed at our mill Beneficio Rio Negro and has notes of hazelnut, cocoa and dried fruit.
These coffees are available now, so if you’re interested or would like more information, contact your salesperson or reach out to us via the form on our website. We’d love to hear from you!
This Month in Costa Rica
As usual, our team in Costa Rica has been staying busy. This time of year is key for the development of the next harvest, and keeping the plants happy and healthy requires constant work. Recently, we’ve been dealing with a spell of dry weather which has required creative solutions in our newly-renovated areas.
We also hosted a Día De Campo, or Field Day, at La Minita this month for some of our producer partners. We arranged a tour of the farm and our team shared information about farm management and ideas for improving crop quality and yields. Events like this one are a great way for us to engage with our partners, strengthen relationships, and share our resources.
Farm manager Lidier Mora Diaz examines a healthy coffee plant at La Minita
Touring the farm during our Día De Campo
Available Now
GUATEMALA, CANDELARIA ORGANIC
This smallholder-produced lot from the Huehuetenango region is a staple for many of our customers. And for good reason; it’s a great value for blending while remaining more than capable of standing on its own as a single-origin offering.
Availability: CTI NJ, Dupuy Houston
Certifications: N/A
Cupping notes: Orange, plum, milk chocolate
MEXICO, LA LAJA WASHED
We’ve been working with our partners at La Laja in Veracruz for many years, and we are always impressed with the quality and consistency of their coffees. This washed offering is balanced with a creamy body and lots of sweetness.
Availability: Annex
Certifications: N/A
Cupping notes: Chocolate, citrus, creamy
CTI NJ SHIPMENT DELAYS
We are experiencing delays with shipments from Continental Terminals NJ due to their recent system upgrade. We hope this issue will be resolved soon and are working with CTI to obtain clearer timelines and updates on pending orders. If you have any questions, reach out to your salesperson for the most up-to-date information.
That’s all for this month’s edition. Thanks for reading, and as always, if there’s anything we can do for you, reach out to your salesperson or fill out our contact form and we’ll get right back to you. See you next month!