Costa Rica, land of Pura Vida - the simple life, a kind of Zen mentality/philosophy that reminds us to be
grateful for all that is positive in our lives, and not dwell too much on the things that aren’t. An
incredibly picturesque and diverse country in many respects, Costa Rica is known for its vast biodiversity,
pristine beaches, lush rainforests, and it’s friendly people - who have been diligently committed to
preserving that natural beauty since at least the 1980’s, leading the way in the (then) novel concept of
eco-tourism. The traditional Costa Rican cup of coffee is a meticulously washed process of the Caturra
variety; balanced, smooth, and clean, but not exceptionally flavorful or aromatic. In the years that we have
been trying Costa Ricans, many of them have been good, but not noteworthy. So we were very excited to be
able to try some of the new wave of Costa Rican coffees, where producers are starting to experiment with
less traditional processing techniques to coax more flavor out of their well-loved cherries. From Cafe
Rivense del Chirripó, a family owned and operated specialty coffee producer in the South Central region of
Chirripó, we are proud to present this Anaerobic Natural processed coffee. Ricardo Ureña Rojas, led by his
parents Régulo and Isabel, have taken their carefully hand-picked ripe Caturra cherries, fermented them in
sealed tanks where the oxygen has been removed, and laid the cherries out to dry fully before going through
the final milling process to remove the cherry husks. This results in an amplified version of some of the
best aspects of Costa Rican coffees - and then some. With a smooth, chocolatey base, pomelo orange acidity,
a bubblegum sweetness, the butteriness of roasted macadamia, and some jasmine and rose floral intrigue in
the cup, this is sure to be a Costa Rican you write home about.
How to Brew It:
Best enjoyed as a filter or immersion brew, at 201–205 degrees, at a coffee to water ratio of 1:15 or 1:16.
