This coffee has been processed using the White Honey process. Honey processing is somewhat similar to a Pulped Natural (but uses less water), falling somewhere in between a Washed and a Natural coffee both in terms of contact between the cherry mucilage and the bean during drying time and in the resulting flavour profile. The outer skin and fruit pulp is removed from the seed (bean) of the coffee inside, and it's left to dry.
The colour in the name refers to the amount of sticky fruit that's left on the surface of the seed after depulping - darker indicates more / lighter indicates less. This method can present some risk of over fermentation during processing but water is a precious commodity in this area of Costa Rica, so this method suits the location very well.
There's an underlying layer of creamy chocolate mousse, but it's garnished with fresh orange and a lime zest finish, before a cocoa aftertaste. The balance of the fruit and chocolate makes this a very more-ish coffee.
- Country: Costa Rica
- Region: Western Valley
- Nearest City: San Luis de Grecia
- Farm: Finca Carmela
- Micromill: Don Joel
- Producers: Allan Oviedo Rodriguez and family
- Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l.
- Processing method: White Honey
- Varietal: Villa Sarchi
Cupping Notes
Chocolate mousse, orange, lime zest
- Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5
- Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5
- Acidity: (1–8): 6.5
- Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5
- Flavour: (1–8): 6
- Aftertaste: (1–8): 6
- Balance: (1–8): 7
- Overall: (1–8): 6.5
- Correction:(+36): +36
- Total (max. 100): 87.5
Roasting Information
Medium - through first and you're looking for the end of the gap to finish the roast - don't let it in to second.
Don Joel Finca Carmela
We’ve been buying from the folks at Finca Carmela for over five years. Owned by Allan Oviedo Rodriguez and his family, Allan grew up in a coffee producing family, learning the traditional producing methods alongside his father and brothers.
Read more