Tasting Notes: Jammy pineapple & fresh stone fruit with mellow caramel and almond notes. Strong tart citric acidity and fruit-like sweetness.
Suited to: All Filter Brewing Methods
Process: Honey
Botanical Cultivars: San Isidro 39
Region: West Valley, Costa Rica
Altitude: 1400–1650 Metres above sea level
The Aguilera Brothers are a set of Cup of Excellence–winning siblings who carry on their longtime family tradition by working together to plant, pick, and process coffees from their combined 60 hectares of farmland: Their father was one of the first to plant coffee in this area in the 1940s. The 12 Aguilera brothers and sisters divide the work among themselves, with two of the brothers, Felipe and Erasmo, overseeing most of the mill operation as well as the drying areas.
Microlots from Costa Rica are typically sourced from producers who have invested not only in growing their farms, but also in building and operating their own processing facilities, typically called "micromills." Micromills typically yield fewer than 1,000 bags annually, and are often independently owned by a family or small group of producers.
San Isidro 39 is a variety developed in San Isidro, Grecia, Costa Rica at an elevation of around 1600-1700 masl. San Isidro varieties are a cross between Sarchimor and Villa Sarchi (a naturally occurring dwarf bourbon mutation discovered in Sarchi, Costa Rica). San Isidro 39 was the only San Isidro hybrid that developed yellow cherries.
The plant is medium tall with an average bean size and high yield potential. It produces a very good quality cup with some reaching 90+ points. The variety has overall vigor and tolerance to stressors like frost, disease, and pests, including coffee leaf rust.
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.