Costa Rica: Don Joel - Finca Carmela, Villa Sarchi

We’ve been working with Allan Oviedo Rodríguez since 2017, and this year’s lot comes from his farm Finca Carmela. Just three hectares in size, Carmela sits at 1,600 metres above sea level on the border between Costa Rica’s Central and Western Valleys. It’s planted mainly with Villa Sarchí and Typica, along with small trials of varieties like SL28. Despite being only a five-minute drive from Allan’s other farm, La Cumbre, Carmela has its own microclimate. Rain may fall on one side of the hill but not the other, winds buffet one while the other is sheltered, and sunlight hits at different times of day. These subtle differences shape the way the coffee develops, giving Carmela’s harvests their own distinctive character.

To understand Carmela, it helps to know Allan’s journey. He grew up in a coffee family, learning traditional methods from his father, Don Joel, and his brothers. When his father passed away, Allan inherited part of the original family land, Finca La Cumbre, and threw himself into farming. In those early years he even worked nights as a taxi driver in San José to make ends meet, managing the farm by day. His determination paid off: he replanted with quality-focused varietals, built the Don Joel Micromill in honour of his father, and began processing coffee himself rather than selling cherry to local mills.

The micromill, now run by Allan and his son Ignacio, sits just below Volcán Poás and has become central to the family’s success. It gives Allan complete control over processing, and his detail-driven approach has earned him recognition in the Costa Rican Cup of Excellence several times in recent years. Success at the mill has also allowed him to reinvest - buying back more of the family land, expanding his farms, and experimenting with new varietals.

Farming here is never without risk. In 2019, Poás erupted, covering Allan’s plants in ash, and the El Niño weather pattern brought drought and erratic rainfall. Carmela, in particular, was hit hard. But Allan’s resilience, focus on sustainability (like producing his own fertiliser from native microorganisms) and constant innovation have kept his farms thriving.

Carmela may be small, but it embodies Allan’s approach: careful attention, deep respect for the land, and a vision for producing coffees that express their place. We’re proud to share it with you.

Full of fruit sweetness, this coffee starts with lemon and lime before a soft mashup of orange and tinned peaches rolls in.

• Country: Costa Rica
• Region: Western Valley
• Province: Alajuela
• Canton: San Luis de Grecia
• Farm: Finca Carmela
• Micromill: Don Joel
• Producer: Allan Oviedo
• Elevation: 1,600 m.a.s.l.
• Processing method: Yellow Honey
• Varietal: Villa Sarchi

Tasting notes: Lemon and lime, orange, tinned peach.

Cup of Excellence Cupping Scores

• Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5
• Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5
• Acidity: (1–8): 6
• Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6
• Flavour: (1–8): 6.5
• Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5
• Balance: (1–8): 6.5
• Overall: (1–8): 6
• Correction:(+36): +36
• Total (max. 100): 86.5

Roast Information
Medium: Through first crack and let this develop in the gap before finishing before second gets going.